Sometimes the Trump admin Immigration people actually seem to have heart….
Acting Homeland Security Department Secretary Kevin McAleenan has directed federal immigration officials to resume processing deportation relief requests for people receiving treatment for serious medical conditions.
The decision reverses an earlier move by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to put a freeze on the requests, known as “deferred action.” The earlier decision made an exception for military members and their families, but sought to deny relief to other applicants.
“At the direction of Acting Secretary McAleenan, USCIS is resuming its consideration of non-military deferred action requests on a discretionary, case-by-case basis, except as otherwise required by an applicable statute, regulation, or court order,” a USCIS spokesperson said in a written statement.
USCIS quietly changed its policy around deferred action last month. The agency sent letters to roughly 400 applicants that told them the requests would not be processed and that they should depart the country within 33 days.
Democrats and pro-migrant advocates blasted the move. A House Oversight subcommittee held a hearing on the issue last week that featured testimony from two undocumented immigrants with serious medical conditions. Both witnesses had received letters informing them their deferred action requests would not be considered….