In Manila, Philippines, against the backdrop of an administration implementing stricter immigration policies, Maria, a 54 – year – old Filipino caregiver, feels her uncertain residency status in the United States is like a death sentence.
She has gone to many seminars organized by a migrants’ group. These seminars teach what to do if law enforcement confronts you. Maria always keeps her legal documents with her.
Maria, whose name has been changed, told the Inquirer in a phone interview, “They have done all they can to help you prepare for the situation. But you know, it’s like death. You don’t know when it will come, and you can’t fully get ready for it. Even if you know about it, fear can still overcome you.”
Recently, as she went to a grocery store, she told herself, “I’m ready.” She had her identification card, license, and marriage contract with her for reassurance. But when she entered the shop, she saw what seemed like an immigration raid.
She panicked and quickly left. For the next two days when she was off work, she locked herself in her room. She said this had never happened to her before. She called her children in the Philippines. “I told them, just in case something happens, they should be ready. I don’t know. No one knows … That’s when people start getting arrested,” she remembered.
Potential major disruption
Filipinos working in the US, especially those without proper documentation, are full of fear and anxiety because of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. An immigration lawyer warned that these stricter policies could even mess up healthcare services, which rely a lot on immigrant workers.
A report from the US Department of Health and Human Services in October 2024 said immigrants make up 16% of the total US workforce. According to a document from the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, they are 31% of home care workers, 22% of residential care aides, and 22% of nursing assistants in nursing homes. The Department of Migrant Workers’ data shows that nearly half (47.55%, or 921) of overseas Filipino workers sent to the US last year were healthcare professionals.
Mark del Rosario, a Filipino immigration lawyer working for a US healthcare staffing agency, said employers know there is a shortage of healthcare professionals. Many workers are retiring or leaving the workforce every day because they are getting older. Hospitals are already having trouble with staffing shortages. He said that with tighter immigration policies, employers will have an even harder time bringing in foreign nurses.
Del Rosario explained to the Inquirer, “For example, nurses usually can’t get an H – 1B visa. So they have to apply for a green card. And since the process takes a long time for both the people asking (petitioners) and the applicants, many lose their legal status or have to leave the country.” This, he said, leads to “a disruption in healthcare delivery.” The H – 1B visa is a non – immigrant visa that lets US employers hire foreign workers in specialized jobs that need at least a bachelor’s degree or similar skills. Most registered nurse positions don’t meet this specialty occupation requirement. So, bringing foreign nurses to the US has already been “significantly delayed,” Del Rosario said.
Students in training
Another problem, Del Rosario pointed out, is the situation of people already in the US on valid visas, like F – 1 student visa holders who are working under Optional Practical Training (OPT). Many of them hoped to apply for a green card while working under OPT. But their visas expired before they could apply to change their status. “So it’s a challenge to stay in the US and keep work authorization. On the other hand, employers expect you to keep working to provide the needed healthcare services,” he said.
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics said that the employment of registered nurses is expected to grow 6% from 2023 to 2033, which is faster than the average for all jobs. “About 194,500 openings for registered nurses are expected each year, on average, over the decade,” the agency said. It added that the demand for healthcare services will go up because there are more older people, and they usually have more health needs than younger people. Registered nurses will also be needed to teach and take care of patients with long – term conditions like diabetes and obesity.
Safety concerns
Maria, who works as a caregiver in the healthcare field, is now thinking about leaving her current employer because she is worried about her safety. She first came to the US in 2016 with the plan to settle there permanently with her children from her first marriage. But she had to fly back and forth between the US and the Philippines often because her children’s births were not registered. Her last entry to the US was in December 2019. She tried to go home several times in 2020, but pandemic travel restrictions stopped her. Stranded in the US, she met her second husband and has been working as a caregiver since then. Her second husband, a Filipino US citizen, later left her. She has filed for divorce, which is still pending, and wants to start a Violence Against Women Act (Vawa) case. But she is still not sure about her status, especially with stricter immigration policies affecting others in the same situation.
Stressful to watch him
Maria current employer is’s a Trump supporter. She complains about the daily stress of watching news about the president and being asked her opinion on political issues. “I have told my agency that I want to stop taking care of my patient because I get scared every time they ask me something. I feel like I’m lying to them, even though we haven’t really talked about (my status). But I have no choice because I fear for my safety,” she said.
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