Many immigrants travel to the Boston area for their education and to work in the booming medical industry. But since President Donald Trump's executive orders on immigration last week, many people are worried that those orders will keep patients from being able to take advantage of quality care.
The House of Peace in Ipswich, Massachusetts, has been helping refugee families since the 1990s, and for the first time, they are unable to take in any new children.
"What would have happened if they were 48 hours later, literally we don't know," Carrie Schuchardt said.
Carrie and John Schuchardt, founders of the small, non profit said a father and teenage son from Iraq made it to Massachusetts just hours before President Donald’s Trump’s executive order that would have prevented their entry into the United States.
"There was a horrific accident this boy was thought to lose his leg which is why he was brought to this country," John Schuchardt said.
"They were able to get a visa to come because the treatment was needed urgently,” Carrie Schuchardt added.
The 14-year-old boy and his father had been living in a refugee camp in Iraq.
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Through the House of Peace, he is now receiving treatment at a Boston hospital. Once it’s over, they will return to the camp in Iraq.
The Schuchardt's worry they may be the last refugees helped at House of Peace for a while.
"The door has being closed on them there is no provision for emergency or humanitarian exceptions to this total exclusion and some of these children need medical care or die," said John Schuchardt.
The Ipswich couple said they are also worried about children they helped in the past that may need follow up treatment, and may not be able to return to the country.
