TAMPA, Fla. — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement data shows the number of detained immigrants is rising, leading to concerns for immigrants in the community.

According to a health care advocate, this is influencing them to decline to seek medical attention.

What You Need To Know

  • Noe Bautista is a health advocate who goes to farms to help provide basic health care checkups
  • Bautista says immigration policies are deterring families from seeking medical help
  • Bautista says he hears their concerns and is working to educate them about their rights and calm any worries

Noe Bautista is always looking to help the farmworker community — a community he knows all too well, because he comes from a farm-working background.

“I know what they’re exposed to, heat during summer, cold during winter,” said Bautista.

For the past seven years, he has driven to farms to provide basic health care checkups through the mobile unit, “Unidades moviles de salud.”

On Thursday, they provided eye exams and checked blood pressure.

Although he has been doing this for several years, he says now more than ever the community depends on his services.

“A lot of them are afraid to go to the hospital, not just because of the money but just the fact that if they do get e-verified, or if not just having their information in a hospital,” Bautista said.

Bautista says many of the families he serves are worried about President Donald Trump’s immigration policies — even if they are here legally.

Bautista says the policies are impacting the day-to-day lives of the immigrant farm-working community.

“Right now they’re more aware of how officers are being able to check who is valid to drive and who’s not, just by scanning a license plate,” he said.

He hears their concerns but tries to assure them that it’s OK to go to the hospital if they don’t feel well. “I always tell them that they’re still safe in a hospital. They’re not going to be questioned about their status," he said.

Bautista serves thousands of farmworkers every month and says he won’t stop providing them care.

“They don’t know what is going to happen eventually, and the other thing there is there’s not enough information that is providing them education or advocating for them.”

He is advocating for their wellbeing and sharing as much knowledge as he can.

The mobile unit travels to farms across Hillsborough, Hardee and Polk counties.