A Missouri lawmaker is renewing an effort to allow people brought to the United States as children under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, to qualify for professional licenses if they’ve completed their education and passed required exams.
State Rep. Ray Reed, D-Brentwood, introduced the bill, noting that he was inspired after learning about a St. Louis woman who did everything required to become a nurse, only to be blocked at the finish line.
"When it came time for her to get her nursing license," he said, "the state of Missouri said, 'Thanks for paying your taxes, but because you are not a U.S. citizen, we will not license you to be a nurse in the state of Missouri.'"
Reed said this rejection came even as Missouri faces critical shortages in nursing and other key fields. He said his bill would remove state barriers that prevent qualified DACA recipients from working in the fields in which they are licensed. The legislation received its second reading in the Missouri House and now awaits assignment to a committee.
Reed contended that allowing trained immigrants to enter licensed professions would not only be fair but would also help strengthen patient care and communities statewide.
"This is the opportunity to bolster our workforce," he said, "and show it's time, to the immigrant community, that Missouri is a place where they should feel comfortable and safe planting their roots."
A similar bill passed in Arkansas in 2021, and Reed said he hopes Missouri will follow suit. He emphasized that with worker shortages across the state, the focus should be on getting qualified people on the job, and not party credit.
"I would love for a Republican to sponsor it and then push the Republican version through," he said, "as long as this policy just becomes law."
If the bill advances to committee, Reed said, that step will determine whether it moves forward for public hearings and debate.
The Missouri Public News Service originally published this story, and is a news partner with KRCU Public Radio.
