Effects of immigration enforcement legislation on Hispanic pediatric patient visits to the pediatric emergency department.

Objective: To compare the visits by Hispanic patients to the pediatric emergency department (PED) before and after passage of Georgia House Bill 87 (HB87). This bill grants local law enforcement the authority to enforce immigration laws.

Methods: A retrospective chart review of all Hispanic patients who presented to the PED in a 4-month period after implementation of HB87 in 2011 was conducted and compared with the same period in 2009 and 2010.