{"id":161777,"date":"2026-02-19T22:12:13","date_gmt":"2026-02-19T22:12:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/161777\/"},"modified":"2026-02-19T22:12:13","modified_gmt":"2026-02-19T22:12:13","slug":"union-nurses-protest-ice-in-largo-photos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/161777\/","title":{"rendered":"Union nurses protest ICE in Largo [Photos]"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"ACredit: Dave Decker\/Creative Loafing Tampa Bay<\/p>\n

Nurses in Largo joined colleagues nationwide this week in naming federal immigration enforcement agencies as one of the country\u2019s greatest public health threats.<\/p>\n

At the HCA Florida Largo Hospital on Thursday, chapter members for National Nurses United\u2014the nation\u2019s largest union and professional association of registered nurses\u2014made their stance known. Dressed in bright colors and costumes, nurses held signs reading \u201cNurses say Abolish ICE\u201d and \u201cICE not welcome here\u201d while waving at cars driving by the hospital.<\/p>\n

The union is calling<\/a> on Congress to stop funding Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agencies like Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Custom and Border Patrol (CBP).<\/p>\n

This comes in the wake of two Minneapolis killings by ICE. ICU Veterans Administration nurse Alex Pretti, was shot multiple times by Border Patrol agent Jesus Ochoa and CBP officer Raymundo Gutierrez last month. Renee Nicole Good<\/a> was fatally shot in January by ICE officer Jonathan Ross.<\/p>\n

Nurses in Largo on Thursday advocated for hospitals to protect patients from ICE.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of hospitals \u2026 they\u2019re either encouraging or just not creating policies to protect their patients that are in the hospitals.\u201d Chief Nurse Representative, Keosha Morris told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have HIPPA that protects patients from being known about their whereabouts and confidentiality, but it seems like all of that is going out of the window in certain areas just to aid ICE\u2019s agenda to lock up people who are essentially seeking help or even are citizens just \u2019cause they look a certain way.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"AChief Nurse Representative, Keosha Morris Credit: Dave Decker \/ Creative Loafing Tampa Bay<\/p>\n

\"NationalCredit: Dave Decker\/Creative Loafing Tampa Bay<\/p>\n

\"\"Credit: Dave Decker\/Creative Loafing Tampa Bay<\/p>\n

\"\"Credit: Dave Decker\/Creative Loafing Tampa Bay<\/p>\n

\"\"Credit: Dave Decker\/Creative Loafing Tampa Bay<\/p>\n

\"\"Credit: Dave Decker\/Creative Loafing Tampa Bay<\/p>\n

\"\"Credit: Dave Decker\/Creative Loafing Tampa Bay<\/p>\n

\"AChief Nurse Representative, Keosha Morriss Credit: Dave Decker \/ Creative Loafing Tampa Bay<\/p>\n

\"\"Credit: Dave Decker\/Creative Loafing Tampa Bay<\/p>\n

\"\"Credit: Dave Decker\/Creative Loafing Tampa Bay<\/p>\n

\"\"Credit: Dave Decker\/Creative Loafing Tampa Bay<\/p>\n

\"\"Credit: Dave Decker\/Creative Loafing Tampa Bay<\/p>\n

\"\"Credit: Dave Decker\/Creative Loafing Tampa Bay<\/p>\n

\"\"Credit: Dave Decker\/Creative Loafing Tampa Bay<\/p>\n

\"\"Credit: Dave Decker\/Creative Loafing Tampa Bay<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\tIncluding Nep, Model\/Actriz, an immigrants rights benefit, and more.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Union\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\tThey\u2019re calling on Congress to stop health threats from federal immigration agencies.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Bob\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\tThe two-time mayor defended his big money connections, saying \u2018I would do it again 10 times over every day of the week.\u2019\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

This article appears in Feb. 19 \u2013 25, 2026<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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