Trump's New Order To Deport Sick Immigrants Went Into Effect Weeks Ago

In a move that’s dark for even this administration, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) eliminated a protection that permits severely ill undocumented immigrants and their families to remain in the U.S. Whenever they receive life-saving treatment for conditions like cancer, HIV, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, and more, the Associated Press reported.


The order mentioned in letters issued to families that nearly 1,000 people who apply to live in the U.S. As soon as they receive treatment have 33 days to stop the treatment and leave the nation or risk facing deportation, according to NBC News. The policy went into effect on August 7, 2019. The policy was first announced in Boston by WBUR-FM on August 26, as the administration did not announce the policy change, according to the public radio station.


“You are not authorized to remain in the United States,” the USCIS field office in Boston wrote in one letter. “If you fail to depart the United States within 33 days of the date of this letter, USCIS may allocate you a Notice to Appear and Commence removal proceedings against you with the immigration court.”


“This is a new low for Trump,” Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) tweeted. “Maybe that is why they were also ashamed to announce this policy change publicly, and alternatively have been notifying families by handing them denials with instructions to leave the country.”


Apparently, while USCIS sent the letters to immigrants requesting to enroll in the small program referred to as “medical deferred action,” it is currently under the purview of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). That process was not said in any of the letters sent to the immigrants. What’s more, an ICE official told ABC News that the corporation didn’t even know about the policy change up until they read about it in the news — there’s no process in place to accept deferred action applications. USCIS did not immediately respond to a request for comment from MTV News, however Paul Prince, a ICE spokesperson said: "ICE has habitually maintained caution to decide suitable actions prior to removal. ICE reviews each case on its own merits and may even physical activity secrecy soon after examining all of the facts involved."


This comes throughout the same month that the Trump administration made moves to deny green cards, eliminate limits on how long families can be detained at the border, and stopped issuing flu vaccines to immigrants at border detention facilities.