The Department of Veterans Affairs is reportedly creating a new internal database of non-U.S. citizens who work for or are affiliated with the agency — a move that could include thousands of doctors, nurses, contractors, trainees, and even military veterans.
According to a memo obtained by The Guardian, the VA is ordering its offices nationwide to identify every non-citizen who is "employed or affiliated" with the department. That includes part-timers, contractors, medical trainees, and volunteers.
The information is reportedly scheduled to be compiled into a report for Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins by Dec. 30.
A VA spokesperson confirmed to The Guardian that some of this data will be shared with other federal agencies, including for immigration enforcement purposes.
"VA will share any adverse findings with the appropriate agencies to ensure anyone who is not authorized to be in the U.S. is dealt with accordingly," the spokesperson told The Guardian, adding, "No one who is not an illegal immigrant has anything to worry about."
The memo, signed by VA chief of staff Christopher Syrek and dated Nov. 15, cites federal "trusted workforce" vetting requirements.
But The Guardian notes that the public guidance on continuous vetting does not mention immigration status as a criterion.
The directive's broad language appears to sweep in anyone with access to a VA facility or computer system — from frontline healthcare workers to outside researchers, janitorial contractors, and student clinicians rotating through VA hospitals.
The VA employs more than 450,000 people nationwide and works with thousands of contractors, making it one of the government's largest and most complex agencies.
Some congressional Democrats told The Guardian they fear the measure could chill recruitment at a department already facing staffing shortages.
Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Ill., called the directive "an effort to stoke fear," claiming it could affect legally authorized workers and even veterans who are not U.S. citizens.
Former VA officials also expressed concerns that the policy could discourage foreign-born medical professionals from working in the system, potentially affecting patient care.
The VA rejected that argument, telling The Guardian that concerns about morale are unfounded.
The Guardian reports the VA action aligns with a wider Trump administration effort to expand data sharing between federal agencies and the Department of Homeland Security.
The VA did not comment to The Guardian on whether the forthcoming list of non-citizen workers would be shared directly with DHS or ICE, but confirmed that "adverse findings" would be passed to other federal entities.
Newsmax reached out the Veterans Affairs for independent confirmation or comment and has not heard back.
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