January 2026

The critical role of immigrant workers in healthcare is underscored by your recent article about the death of nurse Muthoni Nduthu, the nurse who perished with two others in an explosion at Silver Lake Nursing Home in Bucks County.
Ms. Nduthu and her family emigrated from Kenya to Philadelphia two decades ago. Like many immigrants — some, yes, undocumented — she worked long hours and put herself through school to become part of the huge share of foreign-born workers in the healthcare sector — 28% of the overall direct care workforce for long-term care, and 32% of workers in home care settings, according to a 2025 analysis by KFF.

What would the steadily growing U.S. aging population do without these men and women?

As a nurse myself, and recently having family members in other rehabilitation centers, I can attest to the important roles of immigrants and people of color in providing care. It is tough work, with a median annual wage of $16,800, according to a brief prepared for the SCAN Foundation. Consequently, there isn’t a clamor for these jobs by native-born Americans.
The Trump administration’s immigration policies and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement deployments are having a chilling effect on immigrants seeking employment in healthcare — something we absolutely don’t need as our aging population demands more care.
We need more people committed to helping others like Nduthu. Let’s honor her memory by welcoming newcomers to our country, thoughtfully reforming immigration laws, and realizing that adequate healthcare can’t be achieved without immigrants.

Pat Ford-Roegner, Glen Mills