As the coronavirus pandemic reaches new levels, I am proud to serve as a care management specialist alongside a team of medical providers at St. Joseph Hospital. While most families hunker down to prevent the spread of the virus, I have been designated as an essential worker; on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It is a scary experience, but I know that I am serving my community and helping those directly impacted by COVID-19. Most days, I serve as an initial point of contact for our patients, including some who have been exposed to the virus, performing a primary screening and monitoring their temperature.
I’m also a recipient of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. I moved from Mexico City to Colorado with my family when I was just a year old. I grew up in the Denver area and graduated from Smoky Hill High School. My passion for serving my community and interest in epidemiology led me to graduate from the University of Colorado at Denver with a degree in public health. As a former certified nursing assistant, I have witnessed firsthand what I learned in the classroom, including the consequences of health disparities for Latino and immigrant communities. My current role allows me to do what I love most; serve my local community, including undocumented families, by providing culturally competent care and advocating for my patients who are vulnerable and often underserved.
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And while a pandemic won’t stop me and thousands of others from doing our jobs, a pending case before the Supreme Court could strip away our right to work. President Trump terminated the DACA program in 2017, leaving nearly 700,000 people, including 15,000 Coloradans, vulnerable to losing their jobs and facing deportation. Legal challenges to that directive are now before the Supreme Court where a final ruling is expected soon.
Last October, the Association of American Medical Colleges filed an amicus brief stating the country will see a shortage of up to 121,000 physicians over the next 11 years, and that taking DACA health workers out of the workforce would not only exacerbate this shortage, but would also weaken the country’s “preparedness for and ability to withstand incidents with public-health consequences” such as a pandemic.
The current public health crisis brings new salience to these arguments, especially as Trump prepares to deport Dreamers like me, if the court allows. Although much attention is rightly focused on the Supreme Court, President Trump also has the power to ensure Dreamers can contribute to the only country many of us have ever known.
Since the pandemic has led to the mass closings of many government offices and services, routine work authorization renewals for millions of immigrants, including DACA recipients, are at risk of expiring. Gov. Jared Polis recently called on the Trump administration to automatically extend work authorizations for all DACA recipients, citing the current health crisis. Mayors Michael Hancock and Mike Coffman joined over 50 mayors from across the country to also call for the administration to protect DACA recipients.
Considering the shortages of personnel that hospitals across the country are already facing, it is absurd to push out nearly 30,000 healthcare professionals out of their jobs. The Trump administration is even recruiting immigrant healthcare workers to work in the U.S. during the crisis. Meanwhile, thousands of DACA healthcare workers like myself, who have lived in the country for years, are fighting for our rights to stay in the country that we call home and do our part in protecting those at risk.
This virus does not discriminate and will continue to ravage communities across the country if we fail to include everyone in the efforts to combat the pandemic. In the meantime, my community can’t afford for me to sit around and wait for permission from Trump or the Supreme Court to serve my patients. I will continue to wake up each day to care for my neighbors and do my part to get us through this crisis.
Daniela Gomezcastro is a Care Management Specialist at St. Joseph’s Hospital and is a recipient of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. She grew up in the Denver area and graduated from the University of Colorado at Denver with a degree in Public Health.
