At Providence St. Joseph Health, we are proud that 147 of our caregivers are “Dreamers," or individuals covered by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival program. DACA gives these young immigrants the opportunity to temporarily live, study and work legally in the U.S. without risk of deportation.

Communities across Providence St. Joseph Health have benefited tremendously from the talent, professionalism and passion these individuals bring to their work, and we are deeply grateful for their service.

With DACA expiring next month, we are working closely with our congressional delegation to support the Dreamers and provide a path to citizenship for hundreds of thousands of other young immigrants.

To keep you apprised of our efforts, I want to share this letter, which I recently sent to our our congressional delegation:

On behalf of Providence St. Joseph Health, we urge you to support legislation that would provide additional residency status and a path to full lawful permanent residency, with eventual citizenship for approximately 800,000 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) participants.

Providence St. Joseph Health is committed to providing for the needs of the communities we serve, with a special focus on those who are poor and vulnerable. As a Catholic, Mission-driven organization, we honor and respect the life and dignity of every person, including undocumented immigrants. We are proud that 147 of our caregivers (employees) are “Dreamers,” or individuals covered by DACA. They play a vital role in the health and well-being of those we serve, contributing their gifts, energy and skill to many of our communities, especially in California, Oregon and Washington.

As a large employer of dedicated health care professionals, we have a very strong interest in ensuring a continued supply of talented potential caregivers. We have seen firsthand how the DACA Dreamers have benefited our organization at many levels. As nurses, physicians, aides, dietary workers and facility professionals, they are part of what makes American health care great. At Providence St. Joseph Health, we strongly believe that inclusivity makes us more attractive to talented caregivers and that diversity makes us stronger. Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

To the Dreamers who are part of the Providence St. Joseph Health family, thank you for all you do. We are committed to continuing to be an active voice for you.