---
title: Public Policy Student’s Blog Post Spurs Maryland Legislative Action
date: 2022-03-04T05:30:00-05:00
author: University of Maryland
canonical_url: "https://today.umd.edu/public-policy-students-blog-post-spurs-maryland-legislative-action"
section: Articles
---
# Public Policy Student’s Blog Post Spurs Maryland Legislative Action

*March 4, 2022* — by [Karen Shih ’09](/author/karen-shih)


> Bills Expanding Opportunities for Undocumented Residents Could Address Staffing Shortages in Hospitals and Schools

*IMG 5223 1920x1080 — Ewaoluwa Ogundana M.P.P. ’23 wrote a blog post that inspired two new Maryland bills that would allow qualified undocumented immigrants to become licensed in more professions, including nursing and teaching. Below, she poses with state Sen. Cheryl Kagan (D-Montgomery) (third from left), who sponsored the bill in the Maryland Senate, as well as a member of Kagan's staff and witnesses who testified in support of the bill.*

Less than three months after [publishing a blog post on a think tank’s website](https://www.newamerica.org/education-policy/edcentral/md-support-undocumented-students-in-highered/), a University of Maryland graduate student just testified before the state legislature in support of legislation she’d proposed, to open new doors for undocumented immigrants like herself.

Ewaoluwa Ogundana M.P.P. ’23 highlighted an urgent problem: Some people who get educated in Maryland can’t work in the state, including in fields like nursing and teaching that are in dire need of staff. Two new bills, inspired by her post, would prohibit a state occupational or professional licensing board from denying a license, certification or registration to qualified individuals solely based on their immigration status.

Speaking before the Maryland Senate was the latest step for Ogundana in her ongoing advocacy to support undocumented students, especially in higher education.

“It felt surreal,” she said. “I never thought it would be addressed so soon, but I had a lot of support from my network. It was great to see it finally gain traction with people in power who could do something about it.”

Ogundana is particularly grateful to Don Graham, chairman of TheDream.US, who she first met when the organization awarded her a scholarship to attend college. She shared her blog post with Graham, former publisher of The Washington Post, and he brought it to the attention of Maryland state legislators like Del. Joseline A. Peña-Melnyk (D-Prince George’s), who sponsored the House bill.

“We are currently in a workforce crisis that we have long been trying to prevent, causing immense strain to our workers and our economy. Expanding access to occupational licensure will help provide immediate relief,” said Peña-Melnyk during the Feb. 15 House hearing, highlighting severe staffing shortages in hospitals, nursing homes and schools during the pandemic. Almost 40% of Maryland’s population holds a job that requires an occupational license, such as accountants, educators and beauticians. The legislation would give undocumented immigrants who meet educational and other qualifications set forth by the boards a chance to fill those positions.

If the bills pass, Maryland would join five other states, including California and New Jersey, in removing this barrier. It’s the next logical step in a state that already offers in-state tuition at state colleges and universities as well as free community college for undocumented students that meet certain requirements, said Ogundana.

She came to Maryland from Nigeria with her family when she was 4 years old, and never thought much about her immigration status until she started college applications—and found herself cut off from financial aid and scholarship options open to her peers. Luckily, she was able to gain some protections through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which gave her a Social Security number and the ability to stay in the country legally, as long as she renewed her status every two years.


*Ewaoluwa Ogundana M.P.P. ’23 in group with Sen. Kagan*




**Topics:** [People](https://today.umd.edu/tags/people)


**Tags:** [Immigration](https://today.umd.edu/topic/immigration)


**Units:** [School of Public Policy](https://today.umd.edu/topic/school-public-policy)