ICE blindsided by order ending immigrant protection

[Eugene]

Rachel Maddow just covered this in her opening segment. She is continuing as I post.

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Source: CommonWealth Magazine

ICE blindsided by order ending immigrant protection

Confusion sets in over which agency is in charge after termination of medical care program

SARAH BETANCOURT Aug 28, 2019

TWO ARMS OF the Department of Homeland Security are at odds over who is taking charge of a plan that would deport individuals and children with serious medical conditions.

Last week, at least 20 immigrant households receiving medical care in Massachusetts, and others nationwide, received letters from the US Citizenship and Immigration Services saying they must leave the country within 33 days, and that their protected status under a program called medical deferred action had been rescinded. The agency did not provide a reason for the policy change, and said enforcement would be handled by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.

But a senior official at US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, says that the agency had “no idea” that Citizenship and Immigration Services would give them responsibility for dealing with the deportation of individuals previously protected under medical deferred action.

The families, some with children with cancer, cystic fibrosis, HIV and other illnesses, are here under a designation first granted under the George W. Bush administration. It allowed federal immigration authorities to offer temporary protection to those with serious medical problems who require treatment in the US that is often unavailable in their home countries.

“This is a [Citizenship and Immigration Services] issue and they need to own it,” said the official at ICE. ...

-snip-

Read more: https://commonwealthmagazine.org/immigration/ice-blindsided-by-order-ending-protection-for-immigrants-receiving-medical-care/

[Ilsa]

1. Can you imagine the letters going out in Houston,

Dallas, Atlanta, San Diego, Chicago, etc?

Are they inept or cruel? I think they know exactly what they are doing. They are shutting down the government, and are trying to drive away people who are different, disabled, sick, of a different culture or color or country. This has Stephen Miller written all over it.

[Phoenix61]

2. So apparently the wonderful people

who work for ICE have a line so cruel they won’t even cross it. Imagine that. Dragging a sick child out of a hospital bed to kick them out of the country seems to be it.

[blueinredohio]

3. Has anyone asked are these letters going to all immigrants?

Or just immigrants of color?