1. United States
2. Colo.
3. Letter

Please Condemn Detention of South Texas Emergency Medicine Resident Dr. Rubeliz Bibi Bolivar and daughter and Demand Immediate Release Physicians, immigrant rights advocates, and elected leaders across South Texas are outraged following the detention of Dr. Rubeliz Bibi Bolivar, a Venezuelan physician with asylum pending and legal immigration authorization to work until 2030, was on her way to the asylum pending interview set date April 16 in California during what should have been a routine Customs and Border Protection interview. She was detained on at 4 a.m. this morning in the McAllen Airport by CBP. Dr. Bolivar, an Emergency Medicine resident, a mother, and a frontline healthcare provider serving the Rio Grande Valley was reportedly detained alongside her daughter despite following all legal immigration procedures. Her detention has sparked immediate condemnation from community leaders who say the arrest of a physician legally living and working in the United States represents a profound moral failure and a direct attack on immigrant families and the healthcare workers serving South Texas. “Dr. Bolivar did everything right. She came here legally. She followed the rules. She dedicated her life to healing others,” said Victor “Seby” Haddad McAllen Mayor Pro-Tem and candidate for state representative Tx41. “To detain a doctor who serves our community and terrorize her family in the process is inhumane, unjust, and unacceptable.” Dr. Bolivar lives in McAllen, Texas with her daughter and mother. Beyond her work in emergency medicine, she has become a trusted public health voice in the community—appearing on radio, television, and in public forums to educate Valley families on diabetes, heat stroke prevention, and emergency health awareness. Her supervisors and colleagues describe her as an exceptional physician and deeply compassionate person. “Dr. Bolivar is one of the finest residents we have had the privilege to work with,” said Dr. Michael Menowsky, supervising physician. “She is brilliant, dedicated, and beloved by patients and staff alike. Her detention is heartbreaking and deeply disturbing.” “South Texas cannot afford to lose physicians like Dr. Bolivar,” said Dr. Francisco Torres, supervising physician. Communities already face critical healthcare shortages. Detaining doctors who are serving underserved populations is beyond reckless it is cruel.” “The field of Emergency Medicine is currently in crisis due to understaffed ERs, burnout, and a healthcare system that is broken. We cannot afford to lose physicians who are training in Emergency Medicine. We need the Trump administration to enact commonsense and pragmatic immigration policies. We need an administration that understands that we need immigrant physicians in Emergency Medicine to properly staff our ERs.” Ada Cuellar, MD, JD FAAEM South Texas continues to struggle with some of the worst physician shortages and healthcare disparities in the state. Advocates say detaining immigrant physicians who have chosen to serve in medically underserved communities only deepens that crisis. “This is not just about one doctor this is about what kind of country we are becoming,” said Denisse Carreon with Carnalismo Brown Beret and We The People RGV Director of Public Relations. “When asylum seekers, physicians, and mothers can be detained while following the law, no immigrant family feels safe.” Elias Cantu with LULAC stated, “To learn of yet another physician from the Rio Grande Valley that has been detained is disheartening. The detention of Dr. Bolivar and her daughter is inhumane. Especially since they were doing everything right. Let us remind everyone yet again that seeking asylum is legal. This confirms that they are detaining persons with no history of a criminal background. They detained her daughter too. A child should not be held in a detention center especially since they did nothing wrong. A child belongs at home with her mother and family. “