President Trump Terminates Policy That Allows Migrants Receiving Medical Care To Stay In U.S

 

 

 

 

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said this week it has ended a policy that allows migrants to not be deported while they or their family members receive life-saving medical treatments.

A USCIS spokesperson told The Hill in a statement Tuesday that the change took effect Aug. 7 but provides exemptions for military families.

The spokesperson added that the policy is not ending, but will instead be handled through Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). As with any request for deferred action, ICE reviews each case on its own merits and exercises appropriate discretion after reviewing all the facts involved,” an ICE spokesperson told The Hill in a statement Tuesday but declined to say whether the agency would be taking over the program from USCIS.

USCIS receives about 1,000 deferred action requests annually, mostly due to family or medical reasons. Most are not approved.

Critics have denounced the policy change.