DACA’s fate worries healthcare industry

A potential hemorrhage of workers from the healthcare sector could be held off if a pathway to citizenship for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals arises out of a deal between President Donald Trump and Congressional leaders.

In early September, Trump pushed Congress to take up the issue, saying the White House would phase out DACA in six months.

Nearly one-fifth of the 800,000 people covered under DACA work in healthcare and education, causing potential problems for long-term care providers struggling to retain and recruit workers.

Democratic leaders Sen. Chuck Schumer (NY) and Rep. Nancy Pelosi (CA) released a joint statement Sept. 13 that indicated all three had agreed to “enshrine the protections of DACA into law quickly.” However, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) quickly asserted afterward that the meeting was “a discussion, not an agreement or negotiation.”