VC Star: DACA delays push local workers out of jobs, stoke ICE fears
New reporting from the Ventura County Star examines how delays in the federal DACA program are pushing workers across Ventura County out of their jobs — and leaving them fearful of detention and deportation as their protections lapse. The story points to a sharp slowdown in renewals, with median processing times stretching to roughly three months under an intensified federal review process, forcing employers to lay people off or place them on unpaid leave.
Among those affected were two of our own: nurses at St. John’s Regional Medical Center in Oxnard who were told they could no longer work until their authorizations were restored. SEIU 121rn Union President Leo Perez spoke to the Star about the human cost of leaving dedicated caregivers in limbo.
On the impossible position DACA recipients are left in when their protections expire, Perez said: “You offer this hope and suddenly you shut the door.” He noted there is little employers can do except bring workers back once their protections are restored.
“This is not their fault,” Perez said, noting that recipients have gone on to build their own families and lives — only to see their protections thrown into jeopardy. “All of a sudden you shut the door and leave them in an abyss of darkness and uncertainty.”
The Star also reported that SEIU 121RN lobbied elected officials on behalf of our members — Sen. Adam Schiff advocated for a nurse who lost her work permit and her ability to work at St. John’s. Both nurses have since had their permits approved: one was rehired in June, and the union confirmed on July 1 that the second nurse’s authorization came through, with his return expected soon.
SEIU 121RN will keep standing with our members and fighting to make sure the caregivers who keep our hospitals running aren’t shut out of the jobs — and the lives — they’ve built here.
The full article is available at the Ventura County Star, though note it’s behind a paywall.
