About to start medical residency, Honduran TPS holder faces uncertainty
It is graduation season and some noncitizens are facing uncertainty. I attended the UC Davis School of Medicine graduation last week and did not know abut the uncertainty facing one graduate from Honduras. NBC News reports that Carol’s Montes just graduated from UC Davis School of Medicine. Doctor Montes doesn’t know whether she’ll be able to continue her medical training to become a licensed physician. On the same day that Montes signed a contract to begin her medical residency at Contra Costa Medical Center in California, the Trump administration ended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Hondurans, which is how Montes and her parents have been able to live and work in the United States.
“I start residency in a few weeks. My work permit expires July 5th. I have no idea what will happen. How do I continue my medical training?” Montes said. Montes, her parents and a sister, all originally from Honduras, have had TPS for two decades. But TPS for Hondurans ends on Jan. 5, 2020. Montes is among nearly 61,000 Hondurans with TPS facing a possible return to their native country. In all, the administration has ended TPS for more than 400,000 people from several countries.
KJ