Doctors Concerned Rural Health Care Will Be Affected By Trump's Visa Freeze

“You need these H-1B physicians who are willing to go to Alabama, Georgia, you know, parts of the beltway that just don’t have enough doctors,” said Mahsa Khanbabai, an attorney with the American Immigration Lawyers Association. The health care worker exemption in the order only applies to people who are caring for COVID patients or doing research on the coronavirus.

Marketplace: Visa Freeze Could Harm Rural Communities In Need Of Doctors

Dr. Mukesh Gopalakrishnan is an emergency cardiologist at a retirement community an hour outside of Tucson, Arizona. “I’m the only cardiologist who is there at least five days of the week,” he said. These days he sees a lot of COVID-19 patients. He was born in India and is here on an H-1B visa. In America, around 28% of doctors, 35% of home aides and 20% of nursing assistants are foreign born, according to the National Foundation for American Policy. (Garsd, 6/23)

Reuters: Families Separated By New Trump Visa Order Frantic For Answers

In early March, Poorva Dixit rushed to buy a ticket to India from the United States, her home for more than a decade, after she learned her 72-year-old mother had fallen from her bed and was in critical condition. She decided to leave her two young children and husband in California because of the risks of the novel coronavirus spreading around the world. Dixit and her husband are both Indian nationals while their children are U.S. citizens. (Rosenberg, 6/23)

Reuters: Explainer: Who Is Affected By Trump’s Suspension Of Foreign Work Visas?

President Donald Trump temporarily suspended the entry into the United States of certain foreign workers on Monday despite strong opposition from business groups, including major tech companies. The ban, which the White House said was necessary to make jobs available for Americans, will go into effect on Wednesday and last until the end of 2020. (Hesson, 6/23)

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