A group of more than twenty congressional Democrats is demanding an immediate explanation from two federal departments over a controversial initiative to compile a list of non-citizen personnel. The lawmakers allege the effort is designed to intimidate and enable the deportation of essential workers within the nation’s largest healthcare system.
The directive, issued by the Department of Veterans Affairs, orders a comprehensive report on all individuals “employed by or affiliated with” the VA who are not U.S. citizens. The compiled data is slated to be shared with other federal agencies, including those responsible for immigration enforcement. In a sharply worded letter to the VA and Department of Homeland Security, legislators called the move a conspiracy to “illegally intimidate, imprison, and deport” staff who serve the nation’s veterans.
The VA, which operates 170 hospitals and over 1,000 clinics serving 9 million veterans annually, employs roughly 450,000 people and partners with numerous medical schools. The agency confirmed the data-sharing plan, stating it is part of a routine process to vet personnel for security standards. A VA spokesperson asserted the action would not impact veterans’ care.
However, critics argue the timing and scope are alarming. The order comes amid a widespread government crackdown on immigration and during a severe staffing crisis across the VA healthcare network. Official reports have cited “severe” shortages at all VA hospitals, with the system having lost thousands of critical medical staff, including doctors and nurses, in recent months.
Healthcare workers and union representatives warn the policy is already sowing fear. A nurse at a veterans hospital in Illinois described dangerously low staffing levels and said the threat of immigration enforcement at the facility is terrifying both patients and employees. A VA doctor in New York, speaking anonymously, expressed concern that targeting foreign-born medical professionals would drastically reduce veterans’ access to specialized care, noting that a significant percentage of specialists in fields like psychiatry and gerontology are international medical graduates.
The VA has historically relied on recruiting foreign medical talent, particularly for facilities in hard-to-staff rural areas. The new data collection, lawmakers warn, could extend beyond current employees to include contractors, researchers, and volunteers, potentially affecting individuals outside the country.
Veterans’ advocates also fear repercussions for veterans themselves. Non-citizens are permitted to serve in the U.S. military, and veterans constitute over a quarter of the VA workforce. The lawmakers’ letter warns the data could lead to the “unlawful imprisonment or deportation of veterans who served our country” but were not granted citizenship after their service.
The VA has been instructed to provide “all needed data” by December 26, with a final report due by December 30. Congressional Democrats have requested all related documents and a briefing from the agencies by December 24.
