Maria Mendoza-Sanchez, RN, told the publication she received a call from the U.S. Consulate in Mexico City on Nov. 30 informing her that her visa was approved by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. She will return to her home in Oakland, Calif., in roughly two weeks.
Ms. Mendoza-Sanchez crossed the Mexican border without a visa in 1994 to join her husband, who at the time had been living in the U.S. for five years. She obtained work permits and studied nursing at two colleges in the Oakland area before landing a six-figure job as an oncology nurse at Oakland-based Highland Hospital in 2015.
The couple had been applying for legal status since 2002, but were ordered to be deported by an immigration judge in 2013. The Obama administration granted the couple two one-year stays and allowed them to renew their work permits every six months. However, an executive order signed by President Donald Trump forced their deportation back to Mexico. The couple was made to leave their three children in Oakland, two of whom are native-born citizens and one of whom is protected under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program.
Ms. Mendoza-Sanchez’s journey back to the U.S. involved winning a visa lottery earlier this spring and receiving a series of approvals from agencies within the Trump administration, the report states.
Initial news of Ms. Mendoza-Sanchez’s deportation sparked a protest by staffers at Highland Hospital in August 2017.
To access the full report, click here.
More articles on physician-integration issues:
Physician told 911 she feared for her life before Chicago hospital shooting
IU School of Medicine selects 1st-ever CIO: 4 things to know
7 things to know about vendor limit by GPO
At the Becker's 11th Annual IT + Revenue Cycle Conference: The Future of AI & Digital Health, taking place September 14–17 in Chicago, healthcare executives and digital leaders from across the country will come together to explore how AI, interoperability, cybersecurity, and revenue cycle innovation are transforming care delivery, strengthening financial performance, and driving the next era of digital health. Apply for complimentary registration now.