FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, June 18, 2020
Statement attributable to:
Gary LeRoy, MD
President
American Academy of Family Physicians
“The American Academy of Family Physicians welcomes today’s Supreme Court decision preserving Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).
“Today’s decision averted a course of action that could have threatened our health care system by uprooting some 27,000 health care workers and 200 medical students, medical residents and physicians, who are likeliest to work in rural settings and poor neighborhoods.
“The preservation of DACA ensures that those medical students, medical residents and physicians protected under the program can complete their medical education and residency training and contribute to caring for our nation’s population during a time when health care is of utmost importance.
“Most important, this decision brings welcome relief to thousands of DACA beneficiaries who have long wrestled with the uncertainty of whether they would be able to stay in the country they lawfully call home.”
Editor's Note: To arrange an interview with Dr. LeRoy, contact Megan Moriarty, 913-302-8627, or mmoriarty@aafp.org.
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About the American Academy of Family Physicians
The AAFP is the largest national association of family physicians, representing 124,500 physicians and medical students. Family medicine’s cornerstone is an ongoing, personal patient-physician relationship focused on impactful care for people of all ages, races and genders across all medical conditions. The AAFP supports every stage of a family physician's career and provides evidence-based resources, advocacy and community to empower family medicine. To learn more, visit aafp.org. For information about health care, medical conditions and wellness, please visit the AAFP’s patient education website, familydoctor.org.