Acting U.S. Customs and Immigration Services Director Ken Cuccinelli, ripped by Democrats for following policy that threatened deportation of sick immigrants, threw the issue back into their laps Wednesday, charging that lawmakers have failed to back up their concerns with legislation.
At a House Oversight and Reform Committee hearing, Cuccinelli said that there is no such thing as a medical deportation deferment for sick illegal immigrants and that if Congress wants one, it needs to write a new law.
“I promise you we will implement that law,” he told a panel subcommittee.
.@USCISCuccinelli: “We do not look at particular cases when making—“@LacyClayMO1: “So, you don’t care?”
Cuccinelli: “You bet I care…If you cared enough to pass a law we’d enforce it.”
Full video here: https://t.co/gFiFGqPlTU pic.twitter.com/UUQTYakrx3
— CSPAN (@cspan) October 30, 2019
He clashed several times with Democrats on the panel, who portrayed Cuccinelli as heartless for ending a practice of granting deferred deportation for ill immigrants. But he said the simple way to fix the confusion over what to do with sick illegal immigrants, including children, would be to create a special tool, such as a visa.
Several of the clashes were heated and personal, such as when Missouri Rep. William Lacy Clay said, “So, you don’t care?”
To that, Cuccinelli fired back, “You bet I care,” adding, “If you cared enough to pass a law, we’d enforce it.”
At issue was Cuccinelli’s decision to end “deferred action” for those facing deportation by his sister agency, Immigration and Customs Enforcement. It was later reversed by the Homeland Security Department.
Democrats seized on reports that young and sick immigrants, here illegally or with parents here illegally, had received letters telling them to leave or they “may” face deportation.
Cuccinelli said that immigration law does not give them any special protections from deportation. “Only Congress can provide permanent immigration relief to an entire class of aliens,” he said, repeatedly adding that his agency would enforce such a law.
Top Trump administration immigration officials have been stepping up their attacks on Congress for failing to reform outdated immigration laws and putting in place protections they want.
