'Do the right thing, Kaiser': SF nurse at risk of losing job due to DACA delays

"A San Francisco nurse's immigration status is drawing attention to federal delays affecting some recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program as she faces the potential loss of her job at Kaiser after more than a decade. The nurse, a 34-year-old surgical nurse from the Philippines who arrived in the U.S. when she was two years old, is at risk of losing her job because her DACA work authorization has been delayed. DACA protects undocumented young adults who came to the country as children from deportation and provides work authorization every two years."

"Colleagues say time is running out for the nurse, who is "slated to be terminated on Thursday because her DACA work paperwork has been delayed by the Trump administration," according to Sydney Simpson, a registered nurse who spoke at the rally. The nurse's coworkers are urging Kaiser to extend her 30-day unpaid administrative leave while her paperwork is processed. On Monday, medical personnel rallied in support of the nurse outside Kaiser, chanting, "Do the right thing, Kaiser. Do the right thing.""

""We're not asking Kaiser to pay her. Just keep her on unpaid leave," Simpson said and added, "If she were a nurse at the UC system, that's what they would do. She would stay on unpaid leave until her paperwork comes through. But Kaiser is not negotiating. They're not budging. We have sent them letters.""

"ABC7 Eyewitness News data team found that as of March of 2025, there were more than 16,000 active DACA recipients in the Bay Area, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services data. Advocates say processing delays have grown significantly. San Francisco's Central American Resource Center is seeing DACA delays of up to five months. "Processes and applications, that took about three weeks, to get approved are now taking mont"

A San Francisco surgical nurse from the Philippines faces potential job loss at Kaiser because her DACA work authorization has been delayed. DACA protects undocumented young adults who arrived as children from deportation and provides work authorization renewed every two years. Colleagues rallied outside Kaiser, urging the hospital to extend her 30-day unpaid administrative leave while her paperwork is processed. Coworkers said she was scheduled for termination because her DACA work paperwork was delayed by the Trump administration. Data showed more than 16,000 active DACA recipients in the Bay Area as of March 2025. Advocates reported processing delays have increased, with some approvals taking up to five months in San Francisco.

Read at ABC7 San Francisco