The Trump administration has ended a special exemption to deportation that protected immigrants who need medical care. Medical deferred action allowed immigrants facing deportation to receive work authorization and government-funded healthcare while their children received medical treatment, all without fear of immediate deportation. The policy change was implemented August 7, and was sent by letter to those who received the special exemption or whose requests were pending. The only ones not affected by the policy change are military members and their families. Critics argue that denying medical deferred action forces families to return to places with subpar care or lack of care for their medical conditions. Though USCIS announced that ICE would now handle these claims, ICE has replied that it was not notified and this is not the case. No other clarifications have been made. This policy change affects children with cancer, cerebral palsy, HIV, and other serious conditions by forcing them to stop treatment in U.S. hospitals if they are deported.
– Weekly Immigration Briefing by Olivia Hester, Immigration Law Analyst at Docketwise
Posted in: Immigration
posted on: September 3, 2019