Medblrs: Sign this petition now, if you haven’t already.
SIGN HERE
We stand in solidarity with members of the medical community currently protected under the DACA program. As healthcare providers, we have the privilege of interacting with a diverse group of patients and colleagues, and we recognize the importance of a stable legal status on health, well-being, and access to opportunities. In light of current speculations that the DACA program will be terminated in the coming days, we are especially concerned with the future of DREAMers currently working to give back to their communities as medical professionals.
Across the United States, there are at least 65 medical students who will be kept from reaching their dreams of serving as physicians if DACA is discontinued [1]. Not only do these future physicians promise to help alleviate the physician shortage in the United States; they will be instrumental in serving diverse patient populations across the country. Medical school creates significant pressure for all students even without the threat of losing one’s legal status and career. In fact, research shows that burnout is reported among 49.6% of medical students nationally and 11.2% have had thoughts of suicide [2]. It follows that the added pressures of dealing with possible deportation would only increase these numbers. We strongly believe that students protected by DACA deserve the opportunity to live free from fear of being deported and stripped of their education.
In addition to maintaining the protection afforded by DACA, we support the bipartisan BRIDGE (Bar Removal of Individuals who Dream and Grow our Economy) Act as a means to provide stability to all 780,000 learners, workers, and dreamers who fall under DACA and enrich our country every day.
If our government under President Trump truly hopes to “Make America Great Again,” Congress must work toward a more sustainable solution to protect DACA students as they work to give back to their communities. Considerable resources have already been invested in developing the unique skill set of these individuals. Withdrawing support from the DREAMers is not only fiscally wasteful; it undermines the livelihoods of those who have grown up in this country and know it as their only home.
In closing, to all students protected under DACA: we are incredibly proud to be your colleagues. We will continue to stand by you. To the Trump Administration, we urge you to keep the DACA program intact. And to members of Congress, we encourage you to protect DREAMers through the bipartisan BRIDGE Act.
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