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Immigration chief spars with Missouri lawmaker over ‘medical deferred-action’ policy

‘How cruel!’ Rep. Clay responds to Cuccinelli’s testimony

Ken Cuccinelli, acting director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and Rep. William Lacy Clay, D-Mo., during a House Oversight subcommittee hearing Wednesday on the administration’s policy towards foreigners in the U.S. with serious illnesses. (Caroline Brehman/CQ Roll Call)
Ken Cuccinelli, acting director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and Rep. William Lacy Clay, D-Mo., during a House Oversight subcommittee hearing Wednesday on the administration’s policy towards foreigners in the U.S. with serious illnesses. (Caroline Brehman/CQ Roll Call)

The acting director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services faced tough questions from several members of the House Oversight and Reform hearing Wednesday on the agency’s since-reversed decision to end granting foreign nationals with serious medical conditions the temporary ability to stay in the country.

Rep. William Lacy Clay, D-Mo., used his allotted five minutes to ask Ken Cuccinelli if he had heard about several cases interest groups had brought to the agency’s attention. Clay characterized them as “truly heartbreaking.” 

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The agency head responded “No,” explaining that the agency does not “look at particular cases when making a procedural decision like that.”

After the congressman went over another case, this time about a child in a neonatal intensive care unit, and Cuccinelli repeated his answer, Clay asked him, “So you don’t care?” The former Virginia Attorney general replied, “You bet I care.” Speaking over the congressman he continued, “If you cared enough to pass a law, we’d enforce it.”

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