A hallmark of the Trump administration has been its generally tough stance against illegal immigration and those individuals who abuse or exploit the legal entry process, and there have been a number of rule changes and re-interpretations made to address such in an efficient and effective manner.
One recently announced adjustment now appears to have been reversed, or at least walked back temporarily, however, as U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) revealed that it would resume considering applications for a certain type of deferment on deportation for illegal aliens under particular sets of circumstances.
Deferred deportation program abruptly ended, then resumed
Fox News reported that USCIS recently announced that it would no longer consider deportation deferral applications from non-military families and had stopped accepting such requests on Aug. 7.
It was made known on Monday, however, that while USCIS would still no longer accept requests for deferred deportation, it would resume considering, on a case-by-case basis, requests that had already been submitted prior to the Aug. 7 date.
Even still, USCIS emphasized its intention to “wind down” its role in this particular deferred deportation program, with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) taking over the management of future deferral requests.
“While limiting USCIS’ role in deferred action is appropriate, USCIS will complete the caseload that was pending on August 7,” the agency said in a statement. “As USCIS’ deferred action caseload is reduced, the career employees who decide such cases will be more available to address other types of legal immigration applications on a more efficient basis.”
Medical care, financial hardship exceptions
This deferred deportation program was similar in nature to former President Barack Obama’s disputed Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, which provided special status and protections for a certain class of illegal aliens, in the case of DACA, children who were brought into the country legally by their parents, through no fault of their own.
The deferral program that was halted and now has been temporarily re-opened was, however, focused on a different class of illegal aliens, namely those seeking potentially life-saving medical treatments or those dealing with financial hardships.
It should be noted that the program did not provide a path to citizenship, but it did provide the ability to qualify for federal benefits and allowed for work permits to be granted to enrollees.
Program to continue under ICE
Of course, the left screamed bloody murder at the initial news that USCIS had stopped accepting or considering requests for that deferral program and accused the Trump administration of being purposefully “cruel” and having no compassion, as it “targeted for deportation” the families of sick migrants seeking medical care that would be sub-par or unavailable in their home countries.
That isn’t exactly the case — USCIS confirmed that none of the denied or non-considered requests were connected to pending removal orders — and as noted, the program was always set to continue under the aegis of a different immigration-related government agency, ICE.
But those pesky facts get in the way of the left’s narratives and won’t stop the outrageous hyperbole from those who cynically view every action by the Trump administration as an act of depraved and bigotry-based inhumanity.