deportation efforts are starting to impact the health care workforce.

The U.S. census shows more than half of home care aide workers in the Chicago metro area.

Our non U.S. citizens, but agencies and clients have started to report issues with immigrant employees showing up for work for fear of ICE raids.

Those in the industry believe these actions could shrink an already understaffed workforce.

Joining us now with more our doctor, Stephanie will handler, distinguished professor of public health and health policy at Hunter College in New York City.

And Michelle Garcia lets next community organizer for Access Living.

Thanks to you both for joining us, Dr. Well, Handler, You Co authored a study on this very topic.

What did you find?

Well, we found that there's 3.4 million Democrats working health care, more than a million of those immigrants >> Not citizens.

Is that 400,000 undocumented non-citizens working in healthcare.

A lot of those folks are working as nurses nursing assistants that that bone of the home caring workforce.

So if those are deported, we're going to have huge shortages of staff for the home care sector for the nursing home sector.

That's going to cause a double whammy with hospitals.

Are them lose some of their workers?

But they're also gonna find that patients are over there acute illness and ready to go home.

But me to help at home for some help at a nursing out there just won't be staffed to provide that help in the hospitals will get, you know, locked up.

They won't be able to discharge people causing problems throughout the health care system.

And so may be part is mass deportations and the terrible problem for U.S. health care system.

>> And Michelle Garcia, you have cerebal palsy.

Use a motorized wheelchair to get around.

How has this shortage been impacting you so far?

>> For some thank you for having me.

And want to clarify the manager organizing and living I was organizer looking Oregon is pregnancy, but yes, will be impacted.

Has had on me.

And an organizer.

And that's the work that I And so I have to shift the way I work.

been working more so obviously from home because it's been harder to get someone to come and support me at home.

you depend on health care workers, immigrant health workers.

That is to cover and support me at home to get ready for the day.

my daily living activities.

>> You know, >> to be able be out and about.

So if I don't have that support, it's very difficult for me go do actually go to work for 2 that I need to be yet.

So there has been a shift and the way I do things.

>> And Michelle, give us a sense, if you would, what kind of tasks you have the you need the health care workers for as far as like preparing to go out and about daily living lives like everyone else.

Of course.

>> Yeah.

need support.

>> And many help.

for some of care.

You know, getting ready for the day has seen the the needs that as it is all that I needed support with and there's not just myself my partner as well.

>> Right?

Yeah, yeah.

I think you've you've shared with us previously that your partner also has a disability and need home health care health as well, obviously it sounds like a lot for you wanted to manage and coordinate, especially if there's a shortage of workers Dr will handle or why do you think we see such large numbers of immigrants working in this field and in nursing homes?

>> Well, many immigrants come here with the skills added to that you need to be an effective worker.

They've all been taking care of sick or elderly relatives at home their entire life to scene, and elderly people care for and how and you know, they get the skills are doing that and they get the adage is that that's that's a fine job.

It is underpaid and I know people earning more pay.

And then regular hours.

But home care workers hate their jobs.

liked taking care of people.

for feel that way and so many of them have address a particular the growth in workers and the speed half of it has been immigrant labor.

we are really going to be that situation.

If immigrants are deported, we're going to have it's not going to be possible to replace all of these people.

I do want to you know, I mean, a lot of immigrant health workers, people come here to live safely and to work.

And we need to respect the work that they're doing for us.

>> Michelle, you had to go about 3 weeks without an because of the situation.

How did you manage to care for yourself and your husband at the time?

>> Yes, for sure.

I was speaking event just yesterday late last evening yesterday the person can to support myself.

So it had been about 3 weeks without the support and how manage.

As you I do what I for myself and for my husband.

ball blessing that we have friends and family that come to our rescue.

And as much as we have friends and family that come rescue, they're not on liquid like to their you know, health care workers and know exactly over prison here how many times are they going to swear that we so very difficult for a family >> To a limo at all times.

So definitely a target but is not.

I feel great.

>> Dr. Well, handler, we've got about 30 seconds left.

Could the effects of these deportations worsened over time for the sector?

>> Absolutely.

We're just starting to see the mass deportations.

The president is ending temporary protected status for a lot groups.

Haitians, Venezuelans, Cubans who have provided a lot home care workers and that's being phased out over or that to see the situation get worse.

Okay.