Phenton Harker

Dear Committee Members, I write in opposition of HB635FN becasue it is unworkable, penalizes organizations whose job is to serve their community and not to serve as law enforcement officers, and it would potentially lead to the closure of organizations in our communities such as hospitals, food banks, and those that serve people with disabilities. This bill would penalize organizations based on the immigration status of the community members they serve. As a family doctor I have no way of verifying the immigration status of my patients and neither do organizations that serve vulnerable and low-income members of our community. Those of us in service industries are called to serve, and we focus our efforts on meeting the needs of our community members. Because no one can know the immigration status of another person by looking at or speaking with them it is unreasonable to ask non-profit organizations service in law enforcement capacity. In addition, this bill would incentivize reporting of non-profit organizations, such as hospitals, who provide services to our larger community. They will become political targets and divert time, resources, and money away from their missions of serving our communities. More harm would come to our communities if the non-profits that support so many our community members are tied up in big government bureaucracies, red tape, and baseless accusations. Some will likely close due to legal expenses or for fear of political attacks. Pitting our community members against each other will further this divide we are seeing in our society today. This bill is unworkable and worse would harm our communities. I ask you to vote no. Sincerely, P. Travis Harker MD, MPH