When ICE came to the ER in 'The Pitt'

The series dramatizes what has happened recently at hospitals across the country.

- BY MAIRA GARCIA

WARRICK PAGE HBO Max

NURSE Jesse (Ned Brower) fits a sling on Pranita (Ramona DuBarry), a detainee brought in by ICE.

What happens when Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents enter the emergency room of a hospital?

The answer to that question is what “The Pitt” attempts to dramatize in “5:00 p.m.,” Episode 11 of Season 2 of the HBO Max medical drama that premiered last Thursday.

At this point of the season, the show has traversed a number of topics, including healthcare costs — a running theme — drug addiction, multiple traumatic incidents and detained immigrants, which comes to the fore here.

"The Pitt" creator R. Scott Gemmill told The Times that the season would contain an episode about ICE. In recent weeks, there has been more discussion about the episode, after Gemmill told Matt Belloni on his podcast, "The Town," that he'd been asked by HBO to "just make sure it's balanced, and we're not just treating the situation as if it doesn't have other points of view." What exactly that means and whether it's portrayed is debatable, but it does dramatize what's been happening in clinics and hospitals across the country, including in California, as ICE agents carry out raids.

In the episode, a woman in zip ties is brought into the Pitt's emergency room by a pair of ICE agents, dressed in tactical gear and face covers. They explain that the woman, named Pranita (Ramona DuBarry), took a fall onto her shoulder during a raid. "She needs to be looked at before we process her," one of the agents tells the staff members gathered near a counter.

Dr. Cassie McKay (Fiona Dourif) begins to gently examine her shoulder, which is noticeably Robby (Noah Wyle), asks, "You said she fell?" bruised. Dr.