The State of Illinois, under both a Democratic and Republican
Governor, have created loan programs for them in medical school with
one condition: For every year the State of Illinois helps to pay for
their medical education, they have to pledge 1 year when they finish
their medical degrees in service to our State, in areas where we have
shortages of doctors--medically underserved areas. So 28 of them now have their fate hanging in the balance, depending
on the fate of the Dream Act. Why? Because to become a doctor, you need
a residency. A residency is a job. A residency means legally working. If these young people lose the DACA and Dreamer protection, they have
to drop out of medical school. They cannot continue their residency and
pursue a specialty that they have had their heart set on. That is the reality of our failure to act.