Exclusive | NY nursing homes urge Trump to preserve legal status for Haitian workers: Unintended consequences
A coalition representing 400 New York nursing homes is urging the Trump administration to shelve its decision to rescind Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for thousands of Haitians who work in the facilities, claiming it will destabilize the workforce and impact services to frail elderly residents.Under the TPS program, more than 350,000 people from both Haiti and Syria were allowed to live and work in the US while their home countries faced humanitarian crises.Many Haitians found work in the Empire State at nursing homes — but after the Trump administration’s reversal, their work permits are moot.
“New York has the highest share of immigrant direct care workers of any state, with 40,000 Haitian TPS holders — 7,000 of whom work as nursing assistants and direct care givers,” Stephen Hanse, president and CEO of the New York State Health Facilities Association and the New York State Center for Assisted Living, said in an August 14 letter to Homeland Security Director Markwayne Mullin.Hanse said New York also is home to one of the nation’s fastest-growing older adult populations, and nursing homes are already struggling to meet rigorous state staffing requirements.“Any significant reduction in the available workforce would make it more difficult to serve current and new residents, causing a ripple effect that could overwhelm our local hospitals and the entire healthcare system,” he warned.He asked Mullin to consider exempting the affected Haitian nursing aides from losing their TPS status while they apply to stay in the US.The Archdiocese of New York, which runs eight nursing facilities, and Jewish not-for-profit groups that run homes for the aged are also appealing for relief.To comply with the federal order, some affected Haitian workers have already been terminated.“About 30 staff members have been impacted by TPS.
Several have served our customers for more than 15 years and have deep roots in the community, where they have raised their families.A...