A Canadian-born doctor treating U.S. coronavirus patients was denied permanent status as part of President Trump Donald John TrumpTrump ally named next postmaster general Biden says he'll reverse DeVos rule bolstering protections for those accused of campus sexual assault Reopen America — and repeal the SALT limitation MORE’s crackdown on immigration amid the pandemic.
“It’s heart-wrenching. I feel helpless,” Julia Iafrate, an intensive care unit doctor in New York, told CNN’s Chris Cuomo Tuesday.
“I’m putting my life on the line every day to do this ... I’m honestly beside myself. It’s like a slap in the face,” Iafrate added.
I can only hope and pray they reconsider the denial. Please help me #uscis #letdrjstay https://t.co/5gPQG1LdRk — Dr. Julia Iafrate, DO, CAQSM, FAAPMR (@thenewDrJ) May 6, 2020
Iafrate is currently an assistant professor at Columbia University Medical Center. She has lived in the U.S. for 13 years, 10 of which were spent completing a residency program at the Mayo Clinic and a sports medicine fellowship at the University of Iowa before starting at Columbia three years ago.
She is currently sponsored by the hospital she practices in but had her green card application denied last week. Iafrate is in the process of filing an appeal.
"It's heart-wrenching ... I don't know what to do. I don't know what I could have done better," she says. "I don't know what I could have done any differently."
This week, a bipartisan Senate bill was introduced that would make it easier for doctors and nurses to obtain green cards.
"It is unacceptable that thousands of doctors currently working in the U.S. on temporary visas are stuck in the green card backlog, putting their futures in jeopardy and limiting their ability to contribute to the fight against COVID-19,” Sen. Dick Durbin Richard (Dick) Joseph DurbinDurbin: 'I do feel safe' at the Capitol Five factors to watch in the meat supply chain crisis ICU doctor fighting coronavirus denied green card: 'It's like a slap in the face' MORE (D-Ill.) said in a statement.
Gayfetus on May 6th, 2020 at 22:27 UTC »
For all the people who are saying she should just up and leave the US, she's lived here for 13 year, and trained here for 10. She has built an entire life here, I'd wager, with friends and possibly family. Not to mention what seems like a really successful career. Leaving all that behind would be incredibly difficult and traumatic.
Emmigrating is hard, yall.
Also, if you think this is bad, wait until the Supreme Court hands down the DACA decision around June, where they'll likely side with the administration. There are currently 29,000 DACA recipients working as frontline health workers: as doctors, nurses, medics, etc. They could lose their ability to work right away, and be put in detention for deportation proceedings immediately.
Seawench41 on May 6th, 2020 at 19:22 UTC »
She should leave and take all of her education and expertise to another country that will appreciate what she did. We clearly dont deserve her.
Sarbat_Khalsa on May 6th, 2020 at 18:36 UTC »
This is a highly qualified doctor working in a prestigious institution and doing her part to save lives everyday. Frankly, we need her like more than they need us right now. I cannot think of why we would not want her to stay in the country.