Feds offers reprieve on immigrant medical care cases

BOSTON (AP) — Federal immigration authorities have at least partly reversed course on a controversial decision to stop considering requests for foreign nationals to remain in the country for medical treatment or other special circumstances.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services says letters will go out this week reopening all cases pending as of August 7. The agency said on that date that it would no longer consider the requests and ordered all pending applicants to leave the country within 33 days.

The agency did not say how many individuals will be affected by this week’s reprieve. It also did not say whether it will consider requests going forward. Emails seeking comment were sent to the agency Tuesday.

Emails were also sent to the ACLU and other advocacy groups that criticized the initial decision last week.