Way back in March I wrote to my Congressional legislatures concerning those Dreamers who work in healthcare with this letter:
Healthcare providers on the frontlines of our nation’s fight against COVID-19 rely significantly upon DACA recipients to perform essential work. Approximately 27,000 DACA recipients are healthcare workers—including nurses, dentists, pharmacists, physician assistants, home health aides, technicians, and other staff—and nearly 200 are medical students, residents, and physicians. [1]
It seems to me that the next order of Congress should be addressing the problem of Dreamers. To depend on SCOTUS to make a decision which benefits the nation’s patient population at this time is to put this issue at the mercy of an organization constrained to act within the bounds of the Constitution and current law; they may choose to exempt these Dreamers from deportation, but such a decision may be decried by those of an anti-immigration bent.
I think it would be far better if Congress exercises its perogatives and crafted a positive response in the form of legislation exempting Dreamers in healthcare roles from deportation for the crisis period, and extend to them an expedited opportunity for citizenship if they have performed meritoriously. To do less is to imperil out patient population in an unnecessary way, as well as expose the Dreamers to the dangers of being returned to a country that is not a home, and possibly riven with COVID-19 itself.
Hewitt A White, Jr.
[1] Letter from The Jerome N. Frank Legal Services Organization to the Clerk of the Court, SCOTUS – https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/18/18-589/139241/20200327101941772_2020 03 27 Letter to Court for 18-589.pdf; or buried in this The Washington Post article: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2020/03/27/coronavirus-latest-news
Only now I have heard from Senator Smith. In her reply she references the HEROES Act legislation, which appears to address all undocumented workers, which is unfortunate. In any case, Senate Majority Leader McConnell (R-KY) has stated he will not consider it.
I should think serving during this dangerous time for medical front line workers should merit special consideration.
