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What happens when immigration and health policy collide, historically and in the current administration? The annual Indiana Health Law Review Symposium, "The Intersection of Immigration and Health Policy," brought experts on the issues surrounding a national debate to IU McKinney Law on Friday, October 26.

The symposium, sponsored by the law school's Hall Center for Law and Health, took place in the Wynne Courtroom and atrium. Keynote speaker Wendy E. Parmet (left) spoke about what happens when immigration policy and health law meet, addressing both historical concerns and a recent regulatory change proposed by the Trump administration to the so-called "public charge" rule. The proposal would penalize immigrants seeking legal status who have used public services like food stamps or Medicaid.

"When immigration policy meets health law, health policy and public health suffer. The health care system covers fewer people while becoming costlier and less efficient," Parmet said. "Public health is also jeopardized as punitive and futile efforts to keep diseases out by excluding or punishing newcomers replaces evidence-based public health solutions. More subtly, when immigration and health policy meet, we lose sight of why we have health policy in the first place."

Parmet is the Matthews Distinguished University Professor of Law and director of the Center for Health Policy and Law in the Northeastern University School of Law and also a professor of public policy and urban affairs in the Northeastern University School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs.

She was introduced by Nicolas P. Terry, Hall Render Professor of Law and Executive Director of the William S. and Christine S. Hall Center for Law and Health, who opened the symposium with the acknowledgement that the symposium topic is “torn from the headlines.”

“While we are glad to be timely, much of what we will hear is very sad,” he noted.

Throughout the day, IU McKinney health law students participated in poster sessions.  Other panels and speakers included:

• “Healthcare Rights,” moderated by Seema Mohapatra, J.D., M.P.H., and featuring Melissa D. Anderson, M.D., Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine-Nephrology, IU School of Medicine; Brietta R. Clark, J.D., Professor of Law and J. Rex Dibble Fellow, Loyola Law School Los Angeles; Y.Y. Brandon Chen, J.D., M.S.W., Assistant Professor Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa.
• “Healthcare Systems,” moderated by Chad Priest, J.D., M.S.N, Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine, Director of the Disaster Medicine Fellowship Program, IU School of Medicine, and CEO of the American Red Cross-Indiana Region, and featuring Grace Shelton, J.D., '16, Attorney, Hall Render Killian Heath Lyman, P.C.; Maurice Henein, M.D. FAAFP, Program Director - Community East Family Medicine Residency, Indianapolis; and Lori A. Nessel, J.D., Professor of Law, Center for Social Justice Director, Seton Hall University School of Law.
• Emma Mahern, JD, '14, Associate Attorney, Muñoz Legal, led a lunch panel on the intersection of immigration, health, and faith with Sister Tracey Horan, of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, a bilingual community organizer with the Archdiocese of Indianapolis Justice for Immigrants Campaign.
• “Human Rights,” moderated by Fran Quigley, JD, '87, Clinical Professor of Law, IU McKinney School of Law, with Medha D. Makhlouf, J.D., Assistant Professor of Law, Director, Medical-Legal Partnership Clinic, Penn State's Dickinson School of Law; Valarie Blake, J.D., M.A., Associate Professor, West Virginia College of Law; and Jonathan Todres, J.D., Professor of Law, Center for Law Health and Society, Georgia State University College of Law.
• “Public Health” moderated by Aila Hoss, J.D., Visiting Professor, IU McKinney School of Law, featuring Ellen Einterz, M.D., Marion County Public Health Department; Polly J. Price, J.D., Asa Griggs Candler Professor of Law, Emory University School of Law; and Cecilia S. Obeng, PhD, Associate Professor of Applied Health Science, IU Bloomington School of Public Health.