Receive lifesaving treatment from our pioneering doctors and hospitals and researchers and we do not expect the government to implement life denying. Last month without notifying congress the u. S. Citizen and Immigration Services, u. S. Dif, denied all nonmilitary deferred action requests most of these requests are made by sick immigrants and their families who seek to stay in the United States to receive critical medical care that is simply not available to them in their home countries. The administration decided to cast out some of the most vulnerable and defenseless people on earth and there are families across america whose children would essentially be sentenced to death eventually by this stunningly harsh and cruel policy. You were invited to participate in the medical study in her to be that extended her Life Expectancy by ten years. She relies on a weekly infusion is unavailable in her country and she will tell you about it. Mr. Sanchez whom i have met suffers from Cystic Fibrosis, a disease that my family knows well and i am also the proud representative of the Cystic Fibrosis foundation in Montgomery County which has led a campaign that is absolutely transformed the treatment of the fibrosis in primary medical research in that disease and jonathans parents lost his older sister to the disease due to dramatically inferior and substandard medical care in honduras. They will tell about facing the prospect to be sent back there. Joaquin is from the United States suffered a seizure and was diagnosed with epilepsy, visiting his grandparents who are u. S. Citizens. Thanks to deferred action is compared did not send them back where continuing treatment with infection and the removal of his large intestine was impossible. His mother fears of returning home would be signing his death warrant. Serena, 14 yearold, with a congenital heart condition is already gone beyond the Life Expectancy given to her by doctors in spain. An eight yearold girl in miami suffering from nerve cancer relies on her dad to take her to monthly treatments in new york for her father needs deferred action to stay with his daughter. A man from venezuela has been able to care for his wife who suffers from a brain blood malformation and his daughter has metastatic stage iv neuroblastoma at the administration told them to leave the country this month or to face deportation. This new policy threatens sick immigrants who may be forced to leave america and and their lifesaving treatment. It friends u. S. Citizens and lawful residents to rely on immigrant Family Members for financial and emotional support while they are here. It friends crucial medical research and progress by undermining Clinical Trials that rely on the [inaudible] officials responsible for this policy must be held accountable with their recklessness and failure to take even the most basic steps to determine the incalculable harm that would have resulted from this policy. Administrations decision to expel these immigrants with has been exacerbated by the limited time they were given leave according to medical experts 33 days is not nearly enough time to even attempt to arrange for proper continuity of medical care overseas. Four days u. S. Eis and i squabbled about who was responsible for the decision and how to implement it and whether there were indeed a new process or stay of request. As a bickered families were left in a panic with an allconsuming dread in terror u. S. Dif claimed ice wouldve considered it a state request but i still nine those reports. The only recourse ice offers would require vulnerable families to risk deportation before they can request a stay of removal. This is the unnecessary Collateral Damage facing every family caught between this bureaucratic tugofwar between u. S. Eis and ice. It appears no one either agency contemplated or cared about the fall and locations of this change for the families involved. This administrations recent socalled reversal of the policy does not result the lifeanddeath conferences faced by many more families. After the heartwrenching reality became public the administration backtracked and announced it would reopen all deferral requests that were pending on august 7 but they are Still Critical questions left unanswered and will anyone who applied after august 7 is eligible for release. Does the imagination plan to grant relief to those who have reopened applications connect what will happen to families that are currently receiving deferred action but will need to reapply once there to your stay expires connect without answers to these key questions demonstrations reversal appears primarily aimed at avoiding a tidal wave of criticism from the public it gives the appearance of change without necessarily altering the essence of the policy. Administration Must Immediately and completely reverse this policy continue granting deferred action requests in cases of people here today and the like them. There are people who applied after august 7 were still facing the 33 day deadline to leave america and a deadline that will arrive within days or weeks thats unacceptable. There is no justification for the incompetence of this decision and no excuse for the recklessness displayed by our government in this whole affair. I look forward tos studying this rigorous analysis of the fence in a discussion of how we can move Forward Together to repair the damage. Its not my honor to recognize our testing was drinking member, mr. Roy from texas for his opening statement. Thank you, distinguished chairman. Its nice to be back here. Appreciate the witnesses taking time out of your schedule and lines for being here and i appreciate your testimony today. I think as we gather here today its important to remember and reflect that today is september 11 that we as a nation reflect on the tragedy of the terrorist attacks 18 years ago today a number of us on a bipartisan basis gather the capital steps with a moment of silence and hearts and prayers and those affected by it but importantly we remember those who in the lawenforcement affinity First Responders ran toward the building and want to thank all our lawenforcement communities including you and your life of Public Service and lawenforcement supporting the United States. I would also note that i want to thank the german for moving the hearing today. There was discussion occurring in august last week wouldve been difficult to make it so invited this week so we can have better attendance. As we discussed this topic is an important topic in perspective is important. This past summer facing an unprecedented surge in migrants crossing into our country is a growing humanitarian crisis in our border and at the end of august opinions for the fiscal year around 818,000 and already outpaced the total for meeting which was 521,000. Wheezing agencies as Border Patrol and ice struggling to fulfill the mission and the committee is held three hearings in the month of july number one on it immigration and Border Security with the august separately made a visit today just intel texas and pleased to be joined by my from the gentleman from ohio as well as my friend from texas to seat was occurring in our open border. Important conversations to have as a member of farmers in america and it is a question we should be compassionate and do the right thing and help those in need. Question is we are a nation of laws and a nation of 70 and we are willing and what question i think the supports to ask is are we willing to send a clear message of what those laws are and figure out how to navigate within a system of rules and laws so we can understand how it impacts our nation who pays for health care what the expectations are. My understanding for example if the average number of cases were talking about today is about 1000 a year, give or take. Its important number. These are real people and for each one of those thousands this is extremely important we need to figure out the right processes to make them work. Lets keep in mind were talking about a thousand cases right now as we discussed we felt almost 900,000 people who have crossed and been apprehended into our country. Thats a nervous number of almost 600,000 and have been caught and released into our nation with a matter of fact weve had a significant onslaught for cbp and ice were trying to figure out what to do and have an overwhelmed system but the cia is overwhelmed. Entire systems bulging at the seams because we, this body, refused to do our job. Simply put we are not to adopt in clear signals and to make sure the resources are there adequately to deal with the situation at hand. Lets think about the people who deserve our compassion. I think those people, all the people, were talking about here deserve our compassion including those of those 500,000 i just talked about who are abused on a journey because theyre going through a tough journey elicit equal organizations in mexico who are often in stash houses and often being held for ransom, women, girls, abused on the journey and we ignore that what we talk about how great open borders are for some reason in the false name of compassion of how good that is. Lets talk about the 600,000 caught and released in a perpetual cycle in the United States must talk about Human Trafficking in this country getting worse because were allowing illegal organizations to extend in our community. Lets talk about the compassion of lawenforcement personnel, cbp, ice and other agents who have been overwhelmed and being trashed on a daily basis by members of the United States congress. Trashed with deceitful and outright lies disparaging lawenforcement officers doing their job. Today we discussed medical deferred action i think we should ask serious questions. Does the process we have work . Does anyone left outside looking in the does not know what the rules of the road argument is establish the rules of the road and follow them. But send clear signals as to what those are and let them operate in a humane and compassionate way. What agency is best situated to handle dentist questions for those seeking healthcare . Lets answer those questions honestly and not hide behind rhetoric and left to send a clear message what are the rules and follow. Im encouraged today the agencies are here to correct any information or misinformation about the current status depending deferred action. My understanding is u. S. Cif 791 referred request pending between august 7 and september 5 denial letters one to 124 requests. All of those 420 claims have been reopened and will be reevaluated. Certainly let you know the question as to what happened and how that occurred in the now the reversal of that. I think should look into that. U. S. Cif did not issue an issue to appear in dh for those 420 requests. In saga seven u. S. Cif has rejected 40 deferred action request since september 5 there been no additional requests. We can look in and make sure thats true. Historically u. S. Cif has been the only agency to grant deferred action not in removal proceedings. Deferred action can be revoked at any time. Determining deferred action specific rights to your application with field officers use their discretion in the totality of the circumstances to make a decision but i want to know when asked of individuals who may have received deferred action came to the country initially u. S. Cif did not note that attract the data since theres no formal occasion for the process and id like to know how to track that and understand it and know about it. I think will insist on those things so in wrapping up i want to reiterate in our july hearing. We want real reform, real change we need to be discussing the root of the problem. The problem in my opinion is that we refuse as a congress to stand behind the rule of law and make clear our immigration import laws are enforced. We need clear rules of the road and needing to follow the better for nation and better for our 70 and thats better for migrants who seek to come here better for those who are sick looking for care is better for a just and humane way of dealing with things. I think we should stop sending mixed signals stop sending signals is okay to come here illegally to stay over basis to empower criminal organizations and cartels and basically have a system where we have indentured servitude in our country because were allowing the broken system to continue. We just had 50000 apprehensions in the southwest border in august. Using news accounts and how thats dropping down and how we should celebrate that but still enormously high. Its still in almost the height number and youre still overwhelmed at the border even as the decline is in the heat of the summer. At the peak of the crisis there are 132 apprehensions at the border and this proceeding continues today need to remember the underlying factors driving the crisis. Need to secure the border into our job in pointing the fingers in agencies and spewing of rhetoric here does not solve the problem but rather real reform will start here in congress but i want to thank the agencies for appearing today and i like to thank the witnesses for appearing today look for to hearing from each one of you. Mr. Roy, thank you. I want to associate myself with your comments with 911 and im glad indeed we were able to have the ceremony of all the members of the house today as we observe this important remembrance. I now what was our first panel of witnesses. Its my pleasure and i thank you all for the great pains you have come to join us. The witnesses are maria isabel, Jonathan Sanchez, [inaudible], clinical professor of law and director of the center for immigrant rights clinic at penn state law school, doctor fiona [inaudible] pediatrician from massa General Hospital in a pediatric mass general with Child Protection and Anthony Marino at Irish International center and mr. Thomas homan, former director of the u. S. Immigration customs enforcement. For all the witnesses who are able would you please arise and raise your right hand and i will begin by sparing the whole panel in and if youre not, please raise your hand. Do you swear, or a firm, the testimony you are about to give is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you god . Let the record show the witnesses all answered in the affirmative. Please be seated. Thank you. Speak directly into the microphones you have five minutes and without objection emergency mitts will be made part of the record so we will get a competence of look at what you have to say even as you dont get it all in within the five minutes. With that, you are now recognized to give an oral presentation. I would like to thank the members of the House Committee on oversight reform for the opportunity to sit before you and hear my story. I name is maria im 24 years old and came to the u. S. From guatemala when i was only seven to participate in a Clinical Trial to save my life and live like me. I came here illegal resident in this country for over 16 years but on august 13 the u. S. Cif sent a letter to me and my family through the days to leave the country but we were able to learn our case to be reopened. There has been an overwhelming time for my family and me because medical treatment i need is not available in guatemala. Was born with mds a witch affects 2000 people in the world but its a rare lifethreatening disorder. Life expectancy was very short and the doctors that i might not live into my teens. At the time of my diagnosis there was no approved therapy to treat my disease. In 2001 mike doctor sent me to a hospital in oakland for a Clinical Trial. [inaudible] i was we came in a visa and it was not [inaudible] i understood it was an honor and a privilege and as i matured it was a reward to know what i was doing was going to help a lot of people. A continued participating in Clinical Trials until the state to help the next generation with my disease. I first participated it was successful and led to fda approval. [inaudible] i can live longer and have a Higher Quality of life. Doctors told me if i stop the treatment i dining disease wil will we relocated to california but i received this lifesaving treatment. [inaudible] i have a trick them out of me making my healthcare more, get it. Making the decision to relocate was hard. They left the careers and family and friends and my father is a computer engineer and he came in on it h1 visa to provide for us. We been denied a change in status. Weve reapplied every two years but due to the change in policy this year our request was denied and i want to leave. I am a human being with hopes and dreams in my life. Despite my physical challenges i have worked hard to achieve my goal i graduated so make him latte from [inaudible] and director [inaudible] i now work as an advocate for people with diseases. The summer i was a California Assembly member in oakland. With incredible support of my family i stayed positive through many struggles. Im very grateful for the opportunity this country has given me to receive medical treatment and ungrateful for the humane immigration policies that made my life here possible and i would like to make a difference for others. And asking congress and the administration to come together and right the wrongs of this training policy and its not a partisan issue. Thank you so much. Thank you very much. Mr. Sanchez mac. My name is Jonathan Sanchez and im a 16 year old boy that has Cystic Fibrosis, a disease that affects primarily the young and affects the digestive system in my pancreas. I want to tell you about my life back in my native country of honduras and how my life has changed since i came to the usa on 2016. I was born in 2003 and lived there for the first 12 years of my life. When i was three months old parents found that i had and it was a scary day for them. Three years before i was born they had a daughter named samantha. She was born with a problem in her intestines. Unfortunately, the doctors in honduras do not know how to treat her or help her. Six months and two days after she was on my sister passed away. This was a pretty heartbroken moment or my parents. One month after they noted that she had fibrosis. Right now they are worried that if i go back to my country it will happen to me. On the year 2016 we came to the usa legally with our tourist visas to search for a better Cystic Fibrosis treatment for me. When i go to boston Childrens Hospital for the first time in massachusetts they pay me pulmonary function test and the results told me i had only 4042 of my pulmonary function. The doctors of boston Childrens Hospital told my parents came to the usa just in time. After the first visit they sent me home with medication that i should and that i wasnt able to get in my country. The first time i start to get on treatment i got really tired because i wasnt used to it. The doctors after they made me another pulmonary function test and this time it gave the answer of 6069 of my pulmonary function. By now my function is 9097. Right now im using a medication called [inaudible] that helps Cystic Fibrosis mutation lift for a bit of time for this medication is only in two countries, england and the United States of america. We have daily home treatments that takes half an hour or two hours if its longer and this treatment is basically a nebulizer and i take from the medicine for my pancreas, stomach, lungs and other organs with Cystic Fibrosis. However, since we got the letter and the medical deferred action that we need to leave the country in 33 days or we would be deported. My parents and i feel stressed, scared and mad and its incredibly unfortunate to take kids who are at home getting treatment to save their life. They told us that the medical Deferred Action Program was canceled and i started crying and told my mom i dont want to die. I dont want to die but if i go back to honduras i will die. After this i feel so tired both emotionally and mentally. I cannot even sleep properly. I feel disappointed with the usa government that they canceled this program. Sorry for that. From my point of view thinking that deporting sick kids like me will be illegal homicide because in my country doesnt exist treatment. Thank you for your time. Thank you, mr. Sanchez. Doctor. Ranking member jordan, chairman baskin, Ranking Member roy and distinguished members of the committee. Thank you for inviting me to appear before you today im a law professor at penn state to lock in University Park and testifying in my individual capacity. My scholarship teaching and practice focused on immigration law, a field i have worked in for 20 years. I have published two books with nyu press in my first book beyond deportation finds nearly a decade of research on the history of prosecutorial discretion and deferred action in immigration cases. My second book, ban, examines Immigration Enforcement and discretion during the first 18 months of the trump administration. Deferred action enjoys a long history at both democratic and will begin administration. First called nonpriority status deferred action operates informally from most of the 20th century and in the early 1970s as part of his effort to support his clients john lennon and yoko ono attorney leon reviewed over 1800 deferred action cases. Many involving medical infirmity and humanitarian factors. In 1975 ins issued guidance on deferred action through operations instruction and in 1996 the operation instruction removed into a new publication known as Standard Operating Procedures or sop. 2012 sop from u. S. Dif describes how an individual, legal representative or u. S. Dif can request deferred action. Deferred action does not provide a formal, legal status but the Legal Foundation to use it is crystal clear. The immigration statute, federal Court Decisions and legal opinions by ins have recognized the legality of deferred action. Regulations published during the Reagan Administration explicitly identify deferred action as one basis for work authorization. U. S. Dif has used deferred action medical and humanitarian spaces for decades but the idea is longstanding and impact customary. In one data set i received in 2011 nearly half of the cases i could identify involved serious medical conditions and many of the cases involved more than one factor. For example, deferred action was granted to a 47 yearold schizophrenic who overstayed his visa, was the son of a lawful permanent resident and had siblings who were u. S. Citizens. Over 100 of these cases involved people whose homes were destroyed by an earthquake in haiti. In another dataset a 578 cases obtained from u. S. Dif in 201 2013336 were based on medical issues. One case involved a mexican female who entered the United States without infection and had to u. S. Citizen children. One of her children had down syndrome and the other child had serious medical conditions. I received a third dataset from u. S. Dif in 2016. Again revealing the many different action requests were based on serious medical conditions. The dataset included a child with burns on over 65 of their body and parents of children with Cerebral Palsy. U. S. Dif has a long history and the expertise of handling cases for vulnerable populations and to continue to process humanitarian deferred action cases. Preserving an affirmative deferred action process at u. S. Dif allows a person to request what is often a lifesaving protection without having to undergo removable proceedings and also save the government resources. Further nearly every legal opinion from inf of prosecutorial discretion instructs officers to exercise prosecutorial discretion at the earliest stage of the enforcement process. Ripping jurisdiction over this Action Forces them to exhaust the enforcement process. Who has served by placing a cancer patient who might ordinarily request deferred action at u. S. Dif into the removal process . No one. Finally, u. S. Dif should improve transparency by publishing about deferred action providing greater notice and information. Thank you, doctor. Your time is up. Ranking member jordan, chairman baskin, Ranking Member roy and establish members of the committee. Thank you for the opportunity to testify before you today. Im a pediatrician at the massachusetts pediatrician hospital. I have come here today to express a profound concern that i and my colleagues share over u. S. Dif intentional termination of a medical Deferred Action Program. Our hospital cares for children who benefited from the Program Including a young child for the rare genetic condition that causes seizures in the mental challenges. In a country of origin this Child Connection is stigmatizing and deemed unworthy of care. The family was told the child would suffer from seizures and die within a year. Refusing to accept the nothing can be done family left behind seek a Second Opinion at the National Hospital specialty clinic devoted to genetic diseases. Thanks to the families determination and the cure of a dedicated Clinical Team this child to live a longer and much more mature life, attending school and achieving the mobility and social skills. None of this wouldve been possible without the medical Deferred Action Program. Now the child status is due for renewal at the time of the program they arbitrarily may and jeopardizing much progress. Pediatricians care for medically complex children we often do so with baited breath. These children are, by definition, vulnerable. But do they suffer from cancer, Cystic Fibrosis, muscular dystrophy, Cerebral Palsy or any number of other diseases they require care from a Multidisciplinary Team of specialists. Depending upon their underlying condition and error as simple as a missed dose medication or a dislodged tracheotomy breathing tube or a poorly covers needs spell catastrophe. Many of these children for help is so tenuous as they travel unsafe and the clinicians would hesitate to transfer for them to another hospital in the United States, nevermind overseas. Should these children be forced to return to their home countries there kate may be impeded not only by stigma and misunderstanding but by lack of basic resources. Access to safe for the water is not a given in many parts of the world and chronically ill children repeat routinely die from malnutrition or infection as a result. Unreliable electrical grids threaten the health of children that depend upon pumps, ventilators or medications that spoil without assistant refrigeration. Particularly for to drink and die from heat related competitions with want of access to airconditioning. Air pollution and developing countries and what immuno companies children are poorly equipped to handle exposure to Infectious Diseases such as malaria, diarrhea, measles and pneumonia. Healthcare systems in many low middle countries are still in their and simply transporting and ill child can be an insurmountable challenge without ambulances or safe roads. Supply chains are inconsistent so the child may make it to the hospital for the medications and equipment he or she needs may prove unattainable. As a skilled personnel might be needed to administer them. Is not hyperbole to state medically fragile children such as [inaudible] amounts to issuing them a death sentence. Adding insult to injury children could find themselves unable to access even the most rudimentary care, to ease the anxiety and physical pain of the passing. Perhaps no intervention is more crucial to minimize the suffering of children to maintain the presence Family Member at their bedside. Terminating the medical Deferred Action Program would lead medically convex u. S. Citizen not only without the physical burden of their disease but with the Emotional Trauma of forced separation from their immigrant parents. The child can expect it to heal under such circumstances. This is not just bad medicine but unconscionably inhumane. The u. S. Department of health and Human Services building here in washington dc is an engraved coat saying Hubert H Humphrey saying it reads a moral test of government is how it treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children. Those who are in the twilight of life, the aged, and those in the shadows of life, the sick, needy and handicapped. My colleagues in mass general and i quickly urged u. S. Dif to embrace the moral imperative of permitting our young patients the opportunity to heal. Thank you. Mr. Marino. German raskin, Ranking Member jordan roy, distinguish members of the committee thank you for inviting me here today and for hearing these stories. Im here today my capacity as the director of Legal Services with the Irish International immigrant center where we provide legal wellness and Education Services to immigrants from ireland and 120 countries around the world. In our Legal Program we represented dozens of families facing the horrific circumstances that always accompany navigation for deferred action. In the majority of deferred action cases i have seen an individual enter temporarily and then fall ill or gravely injured or received a terrifying diagnosis. Sometimes the illness or injury makes travel impossible and sometimes lifesaving treatment is just not available in a home country. The vast majority of cases we handle its a child whose life is at stake. We represent children with Cerebral Palsy, muscular dystrophy, a child blinded by the cancer in her eyes and a child who suffering multiple seizures every day. We represent children confined to wheelchairs, connected to meeting troops and each of these cases is a family with no desire to break any law but who simply cannot leave without putting a life in danger. These dire circumstances the government has always provided a relief valve, a process by which a family could come forward other than cowering in the shadows over a sick child and lay out their circumstances explaining to u. S. Dif y travel has become impossible and even deadly in the government would agree to allow them to continue in their care. I know life lives have been saved by this program and sadly unknown children we represented to die in the program but even in those cases the brief reprieve by the government but those families precious time. This longstanding Legal Program is what protects people from government actions that would shock the conscience and betray our fundamental values of a nation. I was shocked that they felt when i received the first and ill notice in the next two weeks about a dozen more and they all contain the same boilerplate language. U. S. Dif field officers no longer consider these appellations at all and leave in 33 days. The decision to terminate the program was done in secret and there was no prior notice and opportunity to advocate for the program and no opportunity to prepare my clients for those denial letters. We mainly reached out to all the families who were applying for in the program already and ive had some of the most Difficult Conversations of my life over the past few weeks. Client asked me with government expect them to do is to disconnect a child from lifesaving support and to put them on a flight to me not survive and exactly what i would do. We found applications for parents whose u. S. Citizen children suffer these lifethreatening diseases. In these cases the determination of the Program Friends yet more family separation and there are parents were now having conversations about whether to orphan a child in order to extend his or her life. And the terrible reality of what they done became public u. S. Dif initial response to the media was to deny the eliminated the program. They claim they simply transferred it to ice. Of course, our clients wanted to know what that meant much danger the families were in in the Media Outlets were contacting our center trying to get us to explain it i had to tell them the only information i had i was getting from them. But the transfer to ice appear appears basins have confirmed that the media that they have the program in place in the plan to implement it. After the latest press alert last week we began receiving notices that some cases would be reconsidered and we still dont know what that might mean for those families in the press alert Reference Department of state regulations and its unclear if this means there applying the same standards they always have or if they made some new standard that we all know. The press alert and these reconsideration notions we received still indicate the program has been terminated moving forward and it leaves no option for families in these dire circumstances now or in the future. Because the program was terminated in secret people to know they kept filing we filed evocations as recently as august means for that case. Deferred action is a critical literally lifesaving program that affects a small number of families but in an absolutely immeasurable way and ultimately usaf has not backtracked so much as double down and delayed the consequences of their decision for a handful of families but that is it. Unless congress of the courts can convince or compel u. S. Dif to reinstate the Program Everyone in it and everyone that would otherwise benefit from it is in a horribly worse position. Thank you for your testimony. Distinguish members of the subcommittee that you for the opportunity to appear before you today. This is the appropriate exercise of prosecutorial discretion. My name is tom holman, i retired in 2018 and served more than 34 years and forced immigration law. As you know and passionate about this issue and im glad to testify on different aspects today but before i delve into the details pertaining to the subject of todays hearing would like to pause and reflect on this being the 18th anniversary of the terror attacks on our homeland. May god have mercy on those innocent victims who lost their life and maybe continue to perfect this country against those who want to destroy us in the freedom we enjoy at this country. I also want to salute and honor the Fallen Soldiers that took the fight to those who attacked us and made the ultimate sacrifice. I will never forget. Regarding todays hearing would like to clear up what is that, a common misunderstanding. Its not lawful to have a Deferred Action Program at any federal agency. The word program conjures that entire class if they meet criteria are entitled to a benefit in this case, deferred action but that is not the case. When you break it down for most basic underpinnings of the loss deferred action is the exercise of prosecutorial discretion from prosecutor discussion whether its deferred action or administer closure it may only be exercised on a casebycase basis and not to her class to send criteria but by lawenforcement agencies. Again prosecutorial discretion is rightfully exercised on a casebycase basis and [inaudible] they have the Statutory Authority over those laws. Im here to answer those questions about that program today so its important hearing and will talk about that today. I want to change the course here for one minutes. I understand this hearing is important and thats why accept the offer to come and discuss it with members and their people. Any policy that affects the lives is important and one that they couldve been prevented is too many but like cause for concern is these types of hearings but i have noticed that the house is quick to schedule hearings whenever theres a policy change for operational change and something and usually they are wrong that this change may negatively impact someone the knowingly violated our laws and may be here illegally. I dont see the same sense of urgency when an existing policy affects our citizens and put this countrys security in danger or result in an unsecure border which results in not just a few minutes during crisis but a National Security crisis. Why we continue to have inaccurate titles and misleading titles that push a false narrative on the actions of this administration and vilified the brave men and women that serve in this immigration you are choosing to ignore many lives, many more than this policy change. If you want to affect meaningful change that would save countless lives you need to refocus. Add to this hearing today. For instance, were here to discuss the crisis on the border and the three loopholes causing much of this crisis. Where are the hearings on the asylum are being abused connect or the td pra is causing you to be put in handle criminal organizations and we put in great danger. Where are the healings for the for a settlement that resulted in unprecedented Family Members [inaudible] 32 of women being sexually abused children dying. Criminal cartels making millions of dollars of year because of congressional inaction but i see no hearings on this. The same cartels have [inaudible] where are those hearings connect this Immigration Crisis where is that hearing . If you want to conjure up a false narrative or sending giant to the number one address policy provides xray to criminals. And they put our communities at risk. Many childrens and others have been raped and murdered by illegal criminal aliens but i dont see hearing on that connect thousands of angry mobs and dad have been born out of century policies but i dont see the urgency that we have that we attack the administration on. Our nations heroes and ice and Border Patrol are under attack in the families are being attacked in churches and at schools. Even companies that work with us are under attack. Their lives are being present. Wheres the hearings on that . I hear nothing but dead silent on this issue. What i do here are members of Congress Going in on the hate. I ask that you step back and take a breath. Attack this administration lasts an address underlining crimes that cause these problems do your job and fix those loopholes. Make legislative action after the hearings rather than staging more political theater. No member of congress should theres no downside to that in no downside with immigration and no downside unless the Illegal Drugs were taking money out of cartels hands. Todays hearing is important. Its important hearing. We need to discuss and im glad to be here but talk about these other issues thank you for your testimony. We will now begin the period of questioning from members and i will reckon myself for five minutes for questions. On september 2 after the subcommittee demanded u. S. Dif to secure this hearing the administration announced a partial reversal of the new policy, in particular they stated it would quote we open requests for deferred action that would quote, pending on august 7, 2019. You and your family are told by u. S. Cif dated on august 13, 2019 that you need to leave the country by september 14 which is this coming saturday and id like to put the letter up on the screen if we could and in the meantime let me ask you a question. If you were recruited in several Clinical Trial, is that right . Thats correct. You are here both for your own treatments but also to participate in these trials that could help everyone. Help many other people. Very good. If we look up on the screen uscis says if you fail to depart the United States within 30 days uscis may is you a notification and commence removal proceedings of you with the immigration for it. Was your request submitted before august 7, 2019 . We got our package in may. Im sorry. In may. Okay. Have you received anything from uscis about your case since this letter came on august 13 . No, we received that letter on august 13 and then we got another letter from uscis that they would reopen it but it is still uncertain, the situation you got a letter saying its been reopened. But its uncertain, not clear. We dont know what that means back yeah, we dont know what that means and my lawyer is here to answer those questions to. Uscis, as i understand it, is not known what this includes whether any request the minute prior to august 7 would be approved eventually. Mr. Marino, in light of this reversal what concerns do you have for people who requested deferred action before august 7 . I would not call it a reversal because the press alert that uscis issued still in case they terminated the program. The gist that they will finish those pending on august 7. I have clients with the children now who need access to this program. Okay. Mr. Holman, advised using against the idea of a program saying selective casebycase granting of the deferral so what is a response . I dont see the distinction. There are a lot of programs that have individual discretionary. Okay. Theres a Standard Operating Procedure for it. Do feel confident that requests will get a full and fair review . I certainly hope so. I remain confident for my clients and that they will get consideration that theyve done in the past. The language in the press alert were not sure what that means. Is even more uncertainty about the future of critically ill kids whose family cemented requests after august 7. What will happen to immigrants and families who fell on the wrong side of this august 7 line . I have no idea. We fil anything about new procedures being in place, we just dont know. These are people in relatively similar circumstances . I have about 19 families that we represent and they are all critical medical conditions. How would you describe their mental conditions . It has been absolute chaos. Weve had more conversations in my office with crying clients than ever in history and thats a big thing to say in the Immigration Services process. It has been devastating, people are terrified. You, what ise to the attitude of doctors, nurses, medical personnel, given the current context . Frankly, we are rather appalled. These patients are incredibly sick and they need care and we would like to provide it for them. Ok. My time has expired and im happy to recognize his five minutes. We are a compassionate country and that goes for both sides of the aisle in the vast majority of people. It is an honor and a privilege to be able to help those in need and welcome and thank everyone on the panel for being here today, but there are issues that are before us today that are broader than what is on the surface. We have organizations for who are now ice being forced to make decisions they should not be forced to make because this congress refuses to pass and deal with serious Immigration Reform and implement it. Continues the same type of political posturing and attacks toward this restriction regarding the border crisis while at the same time doing absolutely nothing to address the problem and offer authentic solutions. If the democrats genuinely cared about the plight of migrants and , lets come ton the table and tried to get solutions instead of the continued political posture. Let me just review a few things in the recent months. In june, a member from this committee or from the other side of the aisle remarked that the United States is running concentration camps on our southern border. Villifying the men and women of ice who are putting their lives on the line every day. Then, a group of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle issued a press release the emergency border billlication that would have helped. Then a number of my colleagues visited clint, texas, later alleging the unsanitary conditions there, and that individuals were being forced to drink out of toilets. We can address problems if we are willing to get to the root of the issues and address them. We have the authority here to do so. But there are things staring us in the face that we are totally ignoring like amending our kenness i will process asylum process. Increased funding for Border Security. Ive been at the border, ive been to six out of the nine sectors your im not seeing any of the things that have come from my colleagues on the other side of the aisle. Ive seen great, hardworking cvp and others giving all theyve got to do a job well done. Solutionsto address and the solutions are not to decriminalize border crossings. Let me just ask you and thank you for joining us. Why would having an open border policy pose a Security Risk . For example right now, Border Patrol has about 50 of their staff offline. If you are someone who wants to do harm to this country, you are not getting a plane ticket because too many background checks. You cant get a visa. You are going to enter this country the way many others entered, especially now, when half the border is unsecured. In essence, is decriminalizing border crossing, is that in itself an open border policy . Enticement, like giving Free College Education or free medical care or reporting illegal behavior by giving people citizenship. Its another enticement that these people put themselves in harms way to come into the country and put themselves in the hands of criminal organizations. What does it do to the morale . When members of the 4s or falses of Congress Push narratives as to what is going on down there, what does that do to the morale . It hurts the morale, not only the men and women who carry badge and gun, their families. The spouses say goodbye to their spouse every day to defend this nation. Their kids are being attacked. It had Death Threats against him, its out of control. The men and women of Border Patrol deserve our thanks, not ridiculed by numbers of congress or the media. This open border policy doesnt solve anything. Its going to create more people, more women will be raped, more children will die. Your time has expired. Announcer you can see this entire hearing by going to our website at cspan. Org. Just type in a keyword or phrase such as medical deportations and you will find this and other related discussions on that topic. Cspans washington journal, live every day with news and policy issues that impact you. Rubinorning, gabriel discusses the latest in congress naacpmpaign 2020, and president and ceo Derrick Johnson will be talking about voting discrimination. Then, talkshow host Sebastian Gorka of president trumps reelection strategy. Be sure to watch washington journal live at 7 00 eastern this morning. Join the discussion. Announcer tonight at 9 00 eastern on afterwards, in his latest book sentinel incorporated, then west off report on how labs in china manufacture the drug. Hes interviewed by democratic anneess one and mclean mcclane. In the old days if you are a scientist at university, you published your paper a way to do and it went to do some university library, hard to find. In the internet age, all of these papers were published online. And publicly available. Exactly. Beganse rogue chemists looking for these files specifically for these papers to go through them and appropriate the chemical formulas to learn how to make these new drugs. At 10 00 00 eastern, democratic senator jeff merkley provides is firsthand account of conditions for migrant families of the u. S. Southern border in his book america is better than this. Hundreds of boys who had been separated and were being warehoused in a walmart. I went to find out about it and they decided they didnt want me andee what was going on, they instead call the police and the video went viral so all of america was hearing about cages and secret warehousing of migrant children. Watchable tv every weekend on cspan2. Former House Majority leader eric cantor pitching in. Former Bush White House advisor and former South Carolina democratic governor jim hodges took part in a discussion about executive legislative Branch Relations in a polarized era. Former abc White House Correspondent and colder moderated the panel on a form of Representative Democracy at the college of william and mary. This is about an hour and 10 minutes. [applause] thank you very much, we had an incredibly talented group of you hopefully some real perspective you had not considered before