Immigrants in Healthcare

Immigrants have long played a crucial role in the American healthcare system, contributing at all levels—from hospitals and nursing homes to home care and specialty clinics. As the United States experiences an increasing shortage of healthcare professionals, the role of immigrants has grown even more important. 

According to a 2016 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, one out of every six healthcare workers in the United States is foreign-born. That includes doctors, nurses, radiology technicians, and home healthcare workers. 

Their presence addresses important staff shortages. It also adds cultural and linguistic diversity to patient care. Therefore, reducing barriers to communication and improving health outcomes. 

In fact,  a January 2024 Health Affairs study found that the percentage of foreign-born CNAs (certified nursing assistants) in the United States increased from 13.6% in the 2000s to 19.1% during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. This can be attributed to a decrease in American-born employees.

The percentage varied significantly by state, ranging from less than 1% in West Virginia to more than 70% in Hawaii. Furthermore, long-term care facilities in locations with a larger percentage of immigrant CNAs provided superior patient care, more direct care staff hours per resident, and improved overall nursing home quality performance.

Kulud Hassan Faisal grew up in Ethiopia. She would help her grandparents with chores such as getting a drink or cooking. When she was young, she knew she wanted to be a nurse. She now lives in St. Paul, MN.

President Donald Trump’s crackdown on immigration and refugees has put some healthcare workers and others who rely on them on high alert. Healthcare workers, who help vulnerable people, typically require valid immigration documents to complete background check requirements, according to experts in the field. However, this is not always the case for employees’ family members, who may be deported in large numbers. 

Hassan Faisal arrived in the United States last year to join her parents, who are refugees. Unfortunately, she is concerned that President Trump’s policies would prevent her sister who is in Ethiopia from joining them.

The latest travel ban impacts people from 12 countries mostly in Africa and the Middle East: Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Afghanistan, Myanmar, and Chad. Further, seven other nations are subject to tighter regulations: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.

Many direct support workers in Minnesota and nationwide are immigrants or refugees from African nations such as Liberia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, and Somalia, according to industry experts. The future number of workers entering the industry is “extremely threatened” by government measures that would reduce immigration from such countries according to Living Well Disability Services’ president and CEO, Tom Gillespie. 

Working in healthcare is often a very difficult job. People need to be dependable, hardworking, and caring. It is clear that many immigrants and refugees enjoy this field, and they are providing critical care to vulnerable Americans.

Sources:

Jun, Hankyung, and David C. Grabowski. ‘Nursing Home Staffing: Share Of Immigrant Certified Nursing Assistants Grew As US-Born Staff Numbers Fell, 2010–21’. Health Affairs, vol. 43, no. 1, Health Affairs, Jan. 2024, pp. 108–117, https://doi.org10.1377/hlthaff.2023.008

“Nursing Shortage Intensifies Due to Immigration Policies.” ABC News, 9 June 2025, abcnews.go.com/US/video/nursing-shortage-intensifies-due-immigration-policies-122670859. 

Patel, Yash M., et al. ‘Proportion of Non–US-Born and Noncitizen Health Care Professionals in the United States in 2016’. JAMA, vol. 320, no. 21, Dec. 2018, pp. 2265–2267, https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2018.14270.

Salomon, Gisela. “Some Visitors Report Extra Scrutiny at US Airports as Trump’s New Travel Ban Begins.” AP News, AP News, 9 June 2025, apnews.com/article/trump-travel-ban-immigration-enforcement-visas-b1eb79c7b5717c96daf51e978db83d1b. 

VanBerkel, Jessie. “Minnesota Lacks Caregivers. What Could Trump’s Policies Mean for a Workforce That Relies on Immigrants?” The Star Tribune , Star Tribune Media Company, 15 Feb. 2025, http://www.startribune.com/minnesota-lacks-caregivers-what-could-trumps-policies-mean-for-a-workforce-that-relies-on-immigrants/601223265.