Immigration policy adjustments could worsen EMS staffing shortages

By Alanna Badgley, EMT-P

The recent article, “What a second Trump presidency means for EMS” failed to identify a pressing impact on the EMS field within its section on immigration. The immigration policies that Trump is suggesting will likely have much more far-reaching effects than just removing those with criminal backgrounds.

| More: “What a second Trump presidency means for EMS.” How will Trump’s campaign promises impact EMS funding, call volume and service quality?

Nationwide, there are EMTs and paramedics working as EMS professionals legally through temporary work authorizations, such as temporary protected status (TPS) and the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). Many of these providers are hardworking, dues-paying members of my union, the International Association of EMTs and Paramedics (IAEP).

As part of his far-reaching immigration policies, Trump has promised to cancel those work authorizations, which could lead to the removal of legal status and potential deportation of hundreds of EMS providers who have been legally working on these visas – some for 20 years or more. The first TPS cancellations are expected in March of 2025.

These actions could exacerbate an already critical nationwide EMS staffing shortage. A recent economic analysis by renowned economist, Michael Clemens, found that the net effect of mass deportation reduced employment and earnings for U.S. workers.

As an industry that is attempting to grow and create more career paths for EMS professionals, we must do everything we can to advocate for our existing dedicated providers to be able to continue to work and serve their communities, even if they are presently working on temporary visas such as TPS and DACA. Then, we must do everything we can to advocate for continued public service – such as saving lives as an EMS practitioner – being a legitimate pathway to citizenship for these hard-working individuals among us.

REFERENCES

1. Joorabchi, D, Demographic Profile of DACA Recipients on the Frontlines of the Coronavirus Response, American Progress, 2020.
2. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Temporary Protected Status, USCIS, n.d.
3. Ward, M, Trump’s Plan to Deport Haitian Migrants, Politico, 2024.
4. Anderson, S, Trump Immigration Plan May End Deportation Safeguards for 2.7 Million, Forbes, 2024.
5. Bown, C, Trump’s Proposed Mass Deportations Would Backfire on U.S. Workers, Peterson Institute for International Economics, 2024.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alanna Badgley is president, IAEP Local 20; national vice president, NAGE; co-founder, EMS Sustainability Alliance/ Make EMS Essential; and a New York State paramedic.