President Trump’s recent executive order blitz rocked the labor landscape and could spread from the federal government to the private sector. Those orders cover topics from RTO mandates to the dismantling of DEI programs in federal workplaces. On a related note, Trump’s EOs aimed at visa restrictions could hit the healthcare and higher education industries hard.
From physicians to nursing assistants and professors to students, tensions are running high. And if these new visa requirements cause further labor shortages in both industries, unions could easily take advantage of workers’ frustrations and increase their efforts on the organizing front.
U.S. dependence on physician immigration: At least 1 in 4 doctors are foreign-born and are more likely to practice in rural areas, and their route to doing so is intensive. Regardless of their qualifications or career histories, these physicians must complete a residency in the U.S., a step that could last seven years, depending on the practice. They must do so after obtaining student or tourist visas, which ordinarily isn’t difficult for physicians. It’s a small measure of relief for these residents who earn low salaries while juggling licensing exams, applications for residency, and visas.
However, Trump’s EO on visas could make the process more laborious by mandating a stricter and more enhanced process for every applicant. It’s not hard to imagine this as a disincentive for foreign-born physicians to seek an American practice, and this will not lessen the existing physician shortage that is growing as the U.S. population ages.
Elder care: Even more acutely, the potential impacts of Trump’s mass deportation plans and visa EO could exacerbate existing labor shortages of nursing assistants. One center’s administrator revealed that 40% of their workers are first-generation immigrants; that figure rises to 84% for certified nursing assistants who provide basic yet crucial care for disabled patients in facilities and at-home care settings.
The need for more CNAs is urgent. In particular, California “estimates that by 2030, a quarter of the state’s population will be at least 60 years old,” and a Harvard Medical School professor put it this way: “Immigration policy is long-term care policy.”
International students and professors: Following campaign promises of an immigration crackdown, U.S. universities advised international students to return to campus before the inauguration. The EO on visas could potentially impact hundreds of thousands of current international students, especially those who protest Trump’s policies. The president also recently vowed to deport pro-Palestinian, non-citizen protesters.
Another education wrinkle: Under Trump, the number of H-1B visas granted to highly educated foreigners could change. If that number decreases, universities will struggle to recruit foreign faculty members, particularly in science and tech fields. Presumably, these visas are not at as much risk as student visas, given that H-1Bs benefit the U.S. economy by making the recruitment of top global talent possible.
Conclusion: With policy shifts coming fast and furious, healthcare and higher education employers must recognize that worker worries are running rampant. These changes will also impact companies, including when unions make false promises to help workers affected by these policies. Please don’t put it past a union to try doing so, and now, more than ever, employers must keep lines of communication open with workers and navigate these uncharted waters together.