Illegal immigrant nurses can now be licensed in California

World Immigration

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Am I reading this right? The bill is SB 1159, which looks like it passed to me when I look it up on the California legislature website -- with the following language:

"SEC. 2. Section 135.5 is added to the Business and Professions Code, to read: 135.5. (a) The Legislature finds and declares that it is in the best interests of the State of California to provide persons who are not lawfully present in the United States with the state benefits provided by all licensing acts of entities within the department, and therefore enacts this section pursuant to subsection (d) of Section 1621 of Title 8 of the United States Code. (b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a) of Section 30, and except as required by subdivision (e) of Section 7583.23, no entity within the department shall deny licensure to an applicant based on his or her citizenship status or immigration status. © Every board within the department shall implement all required regulatory or procedural changes necessary to implement this section no later than January 1, 2016. A board may implement the provisions of this section at any time prior to January 1, 2016."

This story was in the LA Times last year regarding this bill:

California bill would ease professional licensing rules for immigrants - LA Times

Specializes in Emergency Psych, ICU.

I'm part of those people trying to make. I'm just trying the RIGHT WAY.

That's why I'm still trying, I could have broken the law. I refused to do it out of respect.

My point was: one needs to follow the rules.

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Then they should apply for legal status. If they continue to be here after they are of an age to seek legal status then they are knowingly violating the law and are knowingly continuing to do so. So again, i support your education and accomplishments fantastic, but how are you any better than your parents? You know you are not legally here, so if you want to stay... Do the paper work!

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Responding to #23. If they cant get here legally by immigration status and are in undue danger in their country they can seek asylum here, but there is still a Legal process to do it. And yes by flooding our cities they are truly robbing the hardworking americans of their money in every dollar that goes to them unearned. They are in fact taking jobs from americans, they may be the lowliest of the low but our citizens should be given priority. I truly feel for them, however, i do believe in our constitution and our most basic laws, and i'm sorry its my parents fault i didnt fill out the paper work when i was 18 is not an excuse. There are a mulitiude of ways to enter this country, and i am happy to aid any one that comes through the front door. And as far as making decisions that have hurt people, yes we all have but most of us have either seek ammends or stop doing what is causing the hurt. They continue to promote and propogate it, (and yes our government has a large hand to play in this) and as long as we sit back and say "there is no other way" so we just have to accept it we are hurting our country for generations to come, paying for people that again are taking money from us putting us even more deeply in debt that our great grand children will still be trying to pay off... I do feel for them, but I believe in taking care of my family first, are 350million of them, as well as any of our invited visitors!

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Specializes in Emergency Psych, ICU.

Lif they are seeking asylum then that's another story I agree

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Reply to 17, if i broke in to your house and sat on the couch and said you are now responsible for my education and my food and my housing what would you do? Would it make any difference if i said ok i'll pay for my education, but i'm going to live in your house and you dont have a choice? Again it has nothing to do with whether they are working or just accepting benefits or are seeking an education and maybe even paying for it. It is that fact that they have so little respect for our country that they say i'm here now so deal with it. I'm truly sorry it is so bad for them where they are from, but the more we have to deal with people that are here against the law it takes away room and makes it harder for people who are trying to do the right thing.

people who want a better life should have every opportunity to ATTEMPT to obtain it. They shouldnt break the laws to do so and there is never any guarantee in life.

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the whole basic point is people that are not here via legal status are again asking us to change our laws to suit their needs. There is something fundamentally wrong with that no matter your feelings on immigration.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

this topic always stikes up a nerve. This always reminds me of South Park episode when they keep saying "They took our jobs" (hilarious). I feel elisa938 is making very valid points especially about knowing your status is illegal and not taking action to fill out necessary paperwork no matter how difficult or expensive.

But, hurting our country for generations to come, and paying for people that are taking money from us putting us even more deeply in debt that our great grand children will be trying to pay off. I absolutely don't fully agree with and I will say this comment comes more from some emotionally driven basis rather than fact. The main reason that illegal immigrants aren't sending America to the poor house is their footprint is minute compared to the whole. And if someone works in the US doing any job, they will still have to buy food at grocery store, they go out to restaurants, movies, buy cars, etc most of whatever income they have stays in America and churns through the same capitalistic machine that all of our money goes through. Now does all the money go back not necessarily (some don't pay income taxes and some money may be sent back to another country that is true). But this is no different than legal residents who do the same (in a purely economical viewpoint)

There always will be illegal immigrants and I am aware there will be people up in arms because someone who doesn't have legal status is here and they feel is siphoning off resources meant for legal residents. We all know the world isn't black and white and its such a cliche to use but really some areas of life are more grey than others. I don't have any answers or solutions to give, I really haven't been able to dive into subject of immigration like I would like to but will in the future. But, I do know our system needs some type of reform because we have a bunch of illegal immigrants and a bunch of angry Americans.

But what I do have is a degree in Economics and can assure you the impact of illegal immigrants towards our debt is a drop in the bucket compared to Military and Medicare/Medicaid/Social Security and hundreds of other programs. So don't blame illegals we only have ourselves to blame for our debt. If the illegal immigrants should take responsibility for being here and do it the right way we should take ownership of our debt.

Oh yeah the part about our grand children paying off our debt reminds me of the Simpsons with the lady saying "Think of the Children, Won't you please think of the Children" hilarious

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Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.
Responding to #23. If they cant get here legally by immigration status and are in undue danger in their country they can seek asylum here, but there is still a Legal process to do it. And yes by flooding our cities they are truly robbing the hardworking americans of their money in every dollar that goes to them unearned. They are in fact taking jobs from americans, they may be the lowliest of the low but our citizens should be given priority. I truly feel for them, however, i do believe in our constitution and our most basic laws, and i'm sorry its my parents fault i didnt fill out the paper work when i was 18 is not an excuse. There are a mulitiude of ways to enter this country, and i am happy to aid any one that comes through the front door. And as far as making decisions that have hurt people, yes we all have but most of us have either seek ammends or stop doing what is causing the hurt. They continue to promote and propogate it, (and yes our government has a large hand to play in this) and as long as we sit back and say "there is no other way" so we just have to accept it we are hurting our country for generations to come, paying for people that again are taking money from us putting us even more deeply in debt that our great grand children will still be trying to pay off... I do feel for them, but I believe in taking care of my family first, are 350million of them, as well as any of our invited visitors!

56487023.jpg

Just sayin'.....

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Specializes in Critical Care.
Yes, and taking the chance that s/he will get caught and suffer the legal consequences, which I fully support. Should we start a movement advocating for eliminating enforcement of traffic laws?

If the law makes sense then I've no problem with expecting people to suffer the legal consequence of speeding, but if the speeding limit is universally set at 3 mph, then is breaking the speed limit the fault of those breaking the speed limit or is there a problem with the law?

The example used in the article, which isn't uncommon, is of a 25 year old woman who was brought here as a 6 month old. I completely agree that illegal immigrants need to earn the right to be here, so she worked hard in school and graduated from UC Berkeley as pre-med.

Du to a flaw in our laws, rather than a flaw on her part, she was stuck in a bureaucratic catch-22 since even though Physicians are highly needed and therefore qualify for citizenship, she can't apply for citizenship as a critical-need occupation without a medical license, and she can't get a medical license without being a citizen. In that situation and ones like it, I don't think the fault lies with person who's done everything possible to do what we expect to become a citizen, it's pretty clearly a flaw in our own system.

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If the law makes sense then I've no problem with expecting people to suffer the legal consequence of speeding, but if the speeding limit is universally set at 3 mph, then is breaking the speed limit the fault of those breaking the speed limit or is there a problem with the law?

The example used in the article, which isn't common, is of a 25 year old woman who was brought here as a 6 month old. I completely agree that illegal immigrants need to earn the right to be here, so she worked hard in school and graduated from UC Berkeley as pre-med.

Du to a flaw in our laws, rather than a flaw on her part, she was stuck in a bureaucratic catch-22 since even though Physicians are highly needed and therefore qualify for citizenship, she can't apply for citizenship as a critical-need occupation without a medical license, and she can't get a medical license without being a citizen. In that situation and ones like it, I don't think the fault lies with person who's done everything possible to do what we expect to become a citizen, it's pretty clearly a flaw in our own system.

So because she is a physician instead of a hairdresser the law shouldn't apply to her? If she had done everything required to become a citizen she would be one. You don't get a pass because you feel you're special.

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Specializes in Critical Care.
So because she is a physician instead of a hairdresser the law shouldn't apply to her? If she had done everything required to become a citizen she would be one. You don't get a pass because you feel you're special.

One of the ways to become a citizen, and what I would argue should the preferred way, is to make yourself an asset to our society, which becoming a Physician does given the shortage of Physicians. It's not that the law shouldn't apply to her, it's that the law that applies to her should make sense and not be counterproductive to our society.

And no, gaining citizenship based on having a highly needed skill is not based on "feeling special".

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If the law makes sense then I've no problem with expecting people to suffer the legal consequence of speeding, but if the speeding limit is universally set at 3 mph, then is breaking the speed limit the fault of those breaking the speed limit or is there a problem with the law?

The example used in the article, which isn't uncommon, is of a 25 year old woman who was brought here as a 6 month old. I completely agree that illegal immigrants need to earn the right to be here, so she worked hard in school and graduated from UC Berkeley as pre-med.

Du to a flaw in our laws, rather than a flaw on her part, she was stuck in a bureaucratic catch-22 since even though Physicians are highly needed and therefore qualify for citizenship, she can't apply for citizenship as a critical-need occupation without a medical license, and she can't get a medical license without being a citizen. In that situation and ones like it, I don't think the fault lies with person who's done everything possible to do what we expect to become a citizen, it's pretty clearly a flaw in our own system.

How is it "a flaw in our laws" that her parents chose to bring her here illegally as an infant?

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