Channing House, a nursing home less than 2 kilometers from Stanford University, is home to many scientists, technology leaders, and inventors in their retirement. Recently, they have encountered a problem: their caregivers are leaving due to immigration policies.

"Our workforce is experiencing severe disruption, and many lives are being turned upside down", said Rhonda Bekkedahl, Chief Executive Officer of Channing House, at a meeting in June.

Channing House nursing home. Photo: Channing House

Bekkedahl stated that Channing House had to lay off some individuals who benefited from the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Their work permits expired, and renewal applications remained unprocessed by the government. Many other staff members also face the risk of job loss.

Gloria Castellanos has worked at Channing House for two decades and is familiar with each resident's diet. "I just want the opportunity to continue working", said the head of nutrition, who benefits from Temporary Protected Status (TPS). "If one day people no longer see me here, they will understand what happened." This status allows foreign nationals in the United States to avoid deportation if they cannot return to their home countries due to war or natural disaster.

Millions of immigrants eligible to work in the United States hold many positions in elder care, from nurses, nutritionists, and fitness trainers to technical and maintenance staff. Additionally, many undocumented immigrants work in home care, part of a large informal economy. However, immigration enforcement measures are shrinking both labor pools.

The Trump administration intensified scrutiny of those brought to the United States as children, who were protected from deportation and allowed to work under the DACA program during President Barack Obama's tenure. In May, the administration issued a policy memo stating that DACA would no longer be broadly applied; instead, each case would require detailed review. Subsequently, the TPS program was also terminated.

Protesters gathered outside the Supreme Court in April to oppose the ruling to halt the TPS program. Photo: Reuters

The elder care sector was already under significant pressure. In a 2023 survey, more than 50% of 400 nursing homes reported having to refuse new residents due to staff shortages, according to the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living. Nearly all surveyed facilities had to request staff to work overtime or extra shifts.

Hebrew SeniorLife, an organization operating 7 facilities in the Boston area, including independent living communities and long-term care facilities, also employs many immigrants with TPS. Adam Scott, the organization's chief executive officer, stated that since President Trump began his second term, policy changes have caused Hebrew SeniorLife to lose 60 immigrant workers.

Additionally, after the US Supreme Court announced on 25/6 that it would not intervene in the administration's decision to end protected status for hundreds of thousands of Haitian and Syrian immigrants, the organization further had to terminate contracts with 40 Haitian workers whose work permits expired on 24/7. Many of them were sanitation staff, kitchen staff, nursing assistants, and nurses who had worked there since the devastating 2010 Haiti earthquake, when the United States first granted TPS to citizens of that country.

"Losing them will affect 4,500 elderly individuals we serve daily", Scott said. "Because my work permit has expired, I am no longer allowed to work legally and am forced to leave the caregiving job I love", said nurse Marlene Vasquez, trying to hold back tears.

Hoang Lan (According to NYT, AP).