By Rachel Ndjondjo

For many immigrants living in the United States, dialing 911 during an emergency does not come naturally. Fear of police, language barriers, trauma carried from their home countries, and a lack of understanding of the American emergency system often cause people to hesitate before seeking help — even when their safety is at risk.

Interviews with several members of immigrant communities reveal a common reality: many people prefer to call a friend, neighbor, or relative before contacting emergency services.

Tatiana Bisimwa, a mother, said her greatest fear is the police officers who frequently accompany ambulances during emergency calls. “What scares me when calling 911 is that police officers often arrive with the ambulance,” she said. “I never really understood why, especially for a medical emergency. Their presence makes me uncomfortable and gives me the feeling that I could be seen as a criminal or a threat.”

As a Black immigrant woman, Bisimwa said that fear and mistrust of law enforcement feel deeply rooted. She recalled that even while in severe labor pain, she avoided calling emergency services.

“The day I went into labor, I did not call 911,” she said. “I preferred asking a friend to drive me to the hospital. With everything we hear about arrests and immigration operations, many immigrants fear that police work closely with ICE. That fear pushes people to avoid calling emergency services, even when they truly need help.”

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She also said that lack of information plays a major role. Until recently, she did not know interpreters could be requested during emergency calls. “Many people do not know that interpreters are available,” she said. “When you do not speak English well and you are already stressed because of an emergency, communication becomes even harder. People are afraid of not being understood or making a mistake.”

Nadine Pembele, vice president of finance at Congolese Community of Maine  and an advocate for newly arrived immigrants, said language remains one of the biggest obstacles.

“Many newcomers are afraid they will not be able to explain their situation to a 911 operator,” Pembele said. “During stressful situations, even people who speak some English can panic and lose their words. That fear is even stronger among immigrants who try to stay unnoticed because of their immigration status or the current climate surrounding ICE.”

Pembele believes more community education is urgently needed. “People need to better understand how the 911 system works — who answers the calls, how emergency responders are dispatched, and especially that interpreters can quickly be connected in different languages,” she said. “Many hesitate simply because they do not understand the process.”

She said stronger outreach efforts could save lives. “The more people understand the system, the more confident they will feel asking for help when something serious happens.”

Okita Otelemo said cultural habits from immigrants’ countries of origin also contribute to the hesitation. “In many of our home countries, emergency services like 911 either do not exist or do not operate the same way,” he explained. “People do not automatically think about calling emergency services first. Usually, they call a friend or family member before anything else.”

According to Otelemo, those delays can become dangerous in life-threatening situations. “Some people wait for a relative to arrive and help translate or assist them, even when every minute matters,” he said. “The community needs to learn the importance of calling emergency services immediately during accidents, fires, or medical emergencies.”

For Samata Manaye, fear tied to language barriers remains connected to a traumatic personal experience. She remembered a kitchen fire breaking out while her baby was in the living room. “I remember being terrified when the house started catching fire. “The fire was coming from the kitchen, my baby was in the living room, and I completely panicked.”

That fear was intensified by an earlier failed attempt to call 911 while pregnant. “One time, when I was pregnant, I called for an ambulance because my husband was at work and was not answering,” she recalled. “I thought it would work like at the hospital where you can ask for an interpreter. But the person on the phone only spoke English and could not understand me. I became so stressed that I hung up.” Since then, she said she has lost confidence in her ability to seek emergency help in English.

“The day of the fire, instead of calling 911, I ran outside trying to find someone who spoke English and could call for me,” she said. “But every second mattered. If the fire had been bigger, it could have ended very badly for me, my baby, and our home.”

Across these testimonies, one clear conclusion emerges: for many immigrants, the challenge is not only the emergency itself, but also fear, language barriers, trauma, and lack of information.

Many community members say more public education campaigns are needed in different languages to explain that 911 services are available to everyone, regardless of immigration status or background, and that interpretation services exist for people who do not speak English. Building trust and awareness within immigrant communities could ultimately save lives.

Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in the early June 2026 print edition of Amjambo Africa.