Citizenship and immigration allices began denying nonmilitary deferred action requests. Most of these request are made by sick immigrants and their family seeking to stay in the United States to receive critical medical care than is simply not available to them in their home country. House oversight subcommittee on medical deferred action requests part 1 medically deferred deportations the administration decided to cast out people and there some who be sentenced to death by this harsh policy. One person here today participated wanted to put dissipate in a medical study that extended life by tenure spirit to live she relies on a medical infusion unavailable in her home country. She will tell you about it. Mr. Sanchez suffers from Cystic Fibrosis, a disease that my family knows well. Im also the proud reppo senate of of the Cystic Fibrosis foundation and michael ray county, which has in Monterey County which led a campaign that transformed treatment of such a sit to fibrosis and made america a leader in Pioneering Research in that disease. Jonathans parents losses sister to the disease due to dramatically inferior and substandard medical care in honduras. He will tell you about that. Now they face the prospect of being sent back there. Was in boy from guyana the states when he suffered a seizure and was diagnosed with epilepsy or was visiting his grandparents who are u. S. Citizens. Thanks to deferred action his grandparents did not have sent him back to guyana where containing treatment for his collapsed lung infection and the removal of his large intestine was essentially impossible. His mother fears returning to guyana now would be like signing my sons death warrant. Badia, a 14yearold with congenital heart defect has gone beyond the left expectancy of doctors in spain. I think she is 16 actually. Im not your van the right information. Im not sure if i have correct information. An eightyearold girl relies on treatments in new york. His daughter his father used to deferred action to keep her in the eye states. From finis well and man and his wife suffers from a brain blood flow issue. Suffers from blessed emma. The administration told him to leave the country this month or face to partition. This policy threatens sick immigrants who may be forced to leave american end their lifesaving treatment. It threatens u. S. Citizens and lawful residents who rely on immigrant family members for financial and emotional support while they are here. Threatens crucial medical research in progress by undermining Clinical Trials that rely on the participation of immigrants with red diseases we was a route that the officials responsible for this policy must be held accountable for their recklessness and fill your to take steps to determine the harm that would have resulted from the policy. The Administration Decision to expel these immigrant was exacerbated by the amended time given to leave. Todays is not enough time attempt to arrange for proper continuity of medical care overseas. And ice squabbled about who was responsible for the decision and how simple mentioned and whether there was a new for stay request. As they bickered, families were left in panic and allconsuming dread and terror. Ice we consider stay request. But ice denied those reports. The only resource ice offered was to acquire vulnerable families to risk deportation before they could request stay of removal. This is what is facing every family caught in this bureaucratic tugofwar between uscis and ice. It appears no one in either agency contemplated or cared about the full up occasions of this change or the families involved. This administrations recent socalled reversal. The policy does not resolve the life and death consequences faced by many more families. After these heartwrenching realities became public, the administration backtracked and now said it would reopen all deferral requests pending on august 7. But there are still a critical questions left unanswered. Will anyone who applied after august 7 be eligible for relief . Does the administration intends to grant relief those who reopened applications . What will happen to families that are currently receiving deferred action, but will need to reapply once there to your state expires . Without answers to these key questions, the administrations 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. The Administration Must immediately and completely reverse this policy and continue renting deferred action requests in cases of people who are here today and those like them. There are people who applied after august 7 still facing the 33 day deadline to leave america. A deadline that will arrive within days or weeks for some people. That is on except will. Theres no desiccation that is unacceptable. Theres no desiccation for the incompetence of the decision and know just of negation for the recklessness of our government in this affair. I look forward to a serious rigorous analysis of these events and a discussion of how we can all move Forward Together to repair the damage. Is my honor to recognize our distinct shrinking member, miss roy from texas for his opening statement. Thank you mr. Chairman, i appreciate the witnesses to take the time out of your schedules and your life to be here. I appreciate your testimony today. I think that as we gather today it is important to remember and reflect that today is september 11. As a nationt we reflect on the tragedy of the terrorist attack 18 years ago today. A number of us on a bipartisan basis gathered on Capitol Steps moment of silence. Our thoughts and hearts and prayers are with all those affected by it and the family members. And partly also we member those who in the lawn forced me community, first responders, people ran toward buildings and want to thank all of our Law Enforcement community. Your wife andand your life of Public Service and supporting United States. Toould also note that i want thank the chairman for moving the hearing to today. There was discussion about it occurring in august last week would have been difficult for people to make it. We have better attendance this week. As we discussed this topic and it is an important one, the perspective is important. Seen ant summer we have in migrantsd surge crossing into our country. We psy growing he met crisis our border. At the end of august a growing humanitarian crisis at our border. Last year 18000 and in 2018 five under 21,000 is a total. 21,000 five under 521,000 we at three hearings in july on border security. I made a trip to texas and was pleased to be joined by my friend ohio mr. Jordan and my friend from texas, mr. Clout to look and see what is occurring in our southern border. The important conversations to have as a member of congress, an american, christian we should be compassionate and do the right thing, help those in need. The question, though is that we are nation of laws or nation of sovereignty and we are willing what question is in part to ask is are we willing to send a clear message of what those laws are and figure out how to navigate than a system and role of laws so we can understand how it impacts our nation, who pays for health care, and what the executions are . My understanding is the number of cases we are talking about is a thousand a year. Thats an important number. These are real people. Each one of those thousand this is actually important part we need to figure out the right process. Lets keep in mind, we are talking about a thousand cases right now with had almost 900,000 people who have crossed and been apprehended into our country since last october. Havem almost 600,000 been caught and released into our nation. We have seen nick in onslaught are trying toce figure out what to do. Uscis is overwhelmed. The system is bulging at the scene because we refuse to do our job. To send clear signals and make sure resources are there to deal with the situation at hand. The people whout deserve our compassion. I think all those people we are talking about here does our compassion including those of 9 who were abused on a journey00,000 because theyre going through a tough journey with illicit organizations in mexico, who are often in stash houses are being held for ransom, women or girls abused on the journey. And ignore that. While we talk about how great open borders are. For some reason the false theme of compassion hunger that is. At our southern border. How good that is paid lets talk about the six hunter whoand who are 600,000 are caught and released. Lets talk about Human Trafficking and how is getting worse because we allowed in guilt illegal organizations to extend into the committee. Overwhelmed who are and being trashed on a daily basis by members of the congress. With deceitful and outright lies disparaging these law officers doing their job. As we discussed medical deferred action we should ask serious questions. Does the process we have work yes or no. Looking outside and whos not know what the rules of the road are lets find out the rules of the road and follow them. Lets send clear signals and operate in the humane and compassionate way to handle those questions. What agency is best situated to handle status questions for those seeking health care. It ice . Lets send a clear message, what are the rules and then follow them. Im encouraged the agencies are here today to correct misinformation about the current status of pending requests. My understanding is that uscis requests pending and denial letters went to 424. All those will be reapplied and will be reevaluated. Certainly the question as to what happened in terms of the letters going out, how that occurred and other reversal of that. We should look into that. Uscis did not issue any issue to appear for any of those requests. Rejectedust 7, uscis 40 deferred action request. Since a temer fest there been no additional requests. That is what i understand in september 5 no additional requests. Deferred action can be revoked at any time. In determining deter deferred action, ill officers used their discretion in the totality of the circumstances to make a decision. Is that accurate. And when asked how individuals who may receive deferred action came to the country, uscis noted they do not track the data because theres no formal application to the process. I like to know about that. So now i think we will learn from of those in the hearing today. Reform, realal change we need to be discussing the root of the problem. The problem in my opinion is we refuse to stand behind the rule of law to make clear our immigration and border laws are enforced. We declare rules of the road and follow them. That is better for nation and our sovereignty and migrants who seek to come here. And those who are sick looking for care and for a just into main way to do things. I think we should stop sending mixed signals. Stop sending signals it is ok to come here illegally, to stay over visas, to empower illicit cartels. Cap a system with indentured servitude in our country because we allow this broken system to continue. We just had 50,000 apprehensions the south worse order in august. See news accounts how that is dropping and we should celebrate that. It is still enormous. Were still overwhelmed at the border even as those declined in the heat of the summer. At the peak they were 132,000 apprehensions at the border. As this hearing continues we need to member the line factors driving the crisis. We need secure the border and at your job. The pointing of fingers of the agencies and spewing of rhetoric does not solve the problem but real reform starts here in congress. I want to pass think the agencies for appearing in the this is to appearing and look forward to hearing from each of you in the hearing. Chairman mr. Roy, thank you. And i want to associate myself with your commons about 9 11. Im glad we could have all the memos of the house observing this important remembrance. Mr. Defazio i now want to welcome our first panel of witnesses. It is my pleasure to have you here. I thank you for the pains youve come join us. Bueso,nesses are maria shobo wadia atz, fiona donahoe, the irishino, international immigrant center. Former thomas hoemann, director of u. S. Immigration and customs. Mr. Defazio probably witnesses able, please rise. Raise your right hand. I will swear the whole panel in. Youse raise your hand, do swear and affirm your the testimony you are about to receive give is the truth, whole truth and nothing but the truth, so up you got. Let the record show the witnesses all answered in the affirmative. Please street directly into the mic. You have five minutes and your written statements will be made part of the objective part of the record. At what you have to say even if you do knock it all in. Your recognized. Would like to thank members of the House Committee on oversight reform for this opportunity to set before you and share my story. Maria valera. Im 24 and came to the u. S. When i was seven to participate in a, a trial to save my life. And the life of those like me. I came here legally and have been a legal resident for 16 years. Setugust 13, the u. S. Cis a letter giving me and my family 33 days to leave the country. We were encouraged to learn our case will be reopened to our future is still in question. It has been overwhelming for my family and me because the medical treatment i need is not available in got smaller. In guatemala. I was warm born with a disease that only affects 2000 people in the world, a rare lifethreatening disorder. By Life Expectancy was short and the doctor said i would not limit my teens. Theive into my teens at time of my diagnosis there were no approved therapies to treat it. At the hospital in oakland the doctor was conducting Clinical Trials on the therapy. He desperately needed more patients for the research. I was selected for the trial, my family was invited to come to the usa on to be tv set so i could participate in the study. As a young child it was hard spinning so much time in the hospital. But i understood it was an honor and a privilege. As i matured it was a reward to know what i was doing would help people. I continue per spinning and, of trials to this day to help the next generation to be treated with my disease. Fda approval of the first and only treatment thanks to this study. The children with the disease in the u. S. Now have a safe and effective treatment that will help them live longer and have a Higher Quality of life. Me if i stop the treatment my condition would decline quickly and i could die within months. So after the fda approval, my family relocated to california. So i could continue receiving this lifesaving treatment. I haveion to mps6, paraplegia and use a Power Wheelchair from ability. I have agents to take care of me and others making my Health Care Even more complicated. Locatedecision to wreak my parents to relocate my parents left their family and friends. Engineers a computer and sponsor for an h1 visa got a sponsor for an h1 visa so he could provide for us. A changee petition for in status and were granted for humanitarian reasons we renew every two years. This year due to changing policy, a request was denied. I want to live. Im a human being with hopes and dreams. Challenges, ical have worked hard to achieve my goals i graduated some of come loudly from cal state and was director of the students for the concord campus. I established a scholarship to help a poor student with physical and mental disability and i network as an advocate for people with rare diseases. The summer i was an intern at california sunday member for district for california sunday member in oakland. I have an assembly member. Theve stayed positive with help of my family and am grateful for the opportunities i received here. And im grateful for the humane the gratian policy that have made my life your possible. Without life i want to make a difference for others. I asked congress and the ministry to come together to write the wrongs of this changing policy. Parson issue. This is a humanitarian issue. Our life depends on it. Thank you. O mr. Sanchez . Jonathan eduardo boy that im 16 years has Cystic Fibrosis a disease that affects perley the lungs. Lungs. Arily also the digestive system and pancreas. I want to tell about my life in my native country in honduras and how my life has changed since i came to the usa in 2016. I was born in tighe c, address and lived there for the first 12 months my life. My parents found that i have cf and it was scary 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 hud dorset did not a how to treat her. Or how to help her in honduras did not know how to help her. Six month after she was born, my sister passed away. Heart breakingty moment for my parents. One month after they noticed she had Cystic Fibrosis. And they are now worried that if i go back to my country, the same thing will happen to me. In 2016, we came to the usa visas, with our tourist to search for a better Cystic Fibrosis treatment for me. When i go for the first time to boston childrens hospital, in me achusetts, they made pulmonary function test. The result told me i had only 40 of my palm and a function. Pulmonary function. The doctors told my parents i sent to the usa i came to the usa literally dying. They sent me home with cf medication that i took and that i would not be able to get my country. When i got on the treatment i got tired because i was not used to it. Test. Ctors may be another this time he gave the answer of 60 to 69 of pulmonary function. Now my baseline is 90 to 97 . Right now im using a medication that helps the Cystic Fibrosis mutation live for time. But it is only into countries, england and the u. S. Requires a daily Home Treatment hour or twoalf an hours if it is longer. Basically ant is part caution and nebulas are. I also take medicine for my pancreas, lungs, stomach and other organs affected by cf. However, since he got the letter denying medical deferred action application it is telling us that we need to leave the country and 33 days or we would be deported. My parents and i felt the stress scared, sad and mad. It is incredible he unfair to kick out kids who are in hospitals or at home getting treatment to save their