Health advocate helps calm worries of seeking health help for immigrant farm working community

Noe Bautista, a committed health advocate in Tampa, is addressing the growing fears within the immigrant farmworker community regarding seeking medical assistance amidst rising immigration enforcement. Drawing on his background in farm work, Bautista uses a mobile health unit to provide essential checkups directly at farms across Hillsborough, Hardee, and Polk counties. He highlights that many families are increasingly hesitant to visit hospitals, driven not only by financial concerns but also by anxiety over potential immigration checks. Bautista actively works to educate these families about their rights, aiming to dispel myths that prevent them from accessing necessary healthcare. He assures them that hospitals are safe spaces where their immigration status will not be questioned.

This outreach is particularly crucial as many families feel uncertain about their future amid evolving immigration policies. Bautista’s work serves thousands of farmworkers each month, emphasizing the need for accessible healthcare and advocacy. His dedication to the community reflects a vital effort to bridge the gap between healthcare access and immigrant rights in a challenging climate.