Hospital warns staff not to defend chaplain detained by ICE

Hospital warns staff not to defend chaplain detained by ICE
Cincinnati hospital fired two chaplains for speaking out after colleague detained during routine check-in

By Tatyana Tandanpolie
Staff Reporter
Published July 25, 2025 2:52PM (EDT)


(Salon) The Cincinnati, Ohio, hospital that once employed an interfaith chaplain now detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement has warned employees that speaking out on his behalf could violate its policies, according to a message shared with staff this week and obtained by Salon.

In an internal letter to staff, sent Thursday, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital CEO and President Steve Davis addressed the detention of Imam Ayman Soliman earlier this month, informing staff that the hospital does not “publicly comment on personnel or legal matters.” He also reminded employees of the hospital’s expectation that staff “live our values and follow our policies, every day and in every interaction” despite the “divisiveness outside of our walls.”

“As a Nonprofit Charitable Organization, Cincinnati Children’s has strict rules it must follow when engaging in activities that could be characterized as political,” the letter reads. “Our organization is politically agnostic, not favoring one party over the other; we advocate for policies that improve pediatric health.”

The letter comes after the hospital fired two chaplains over recent social media posts, including ones that noted an employee’s participation in a recent protest, and another’s interview with a local media outlet about her recent visit with Soliman at a county jail. Soliman worked as an interfaith chaplain at the hospital until June, when his asylum status and work authorization were revoked. ICE detained Soliman during a routine check-in earlier this month and he remains in custody as the Cleveland Immigration Court weighs whether to release him on bond. ...................(more)

https://www.salon.com/2025/07/25/hospital-warns-staff-not-to-defend-chaplain-detained-by-ice/