MSNBC "All in with Chris Hayes" - Transcript: "Candidates offer contrasting visions."

Interview

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`DONNELL: That was Maria Isabel Bueso testifying for her life in Congress on Wednesday. The Trump administration sent her and other patients suffering with deadly illnesses letters telling them they had to leave the country by tomorrow or be deported. This was an unannounced change in policy by the Trump administration for people who are in this country to receive life-saving medical care. After Isabel`s story went public, the Trump administration sent letters to Isabel and other patients telling them that their cases were being re-opened, but the letters did not explain what re-opened means and the letters did not explain what would happen next. And joining us now by phone is Democratic Congressman Mark DeSaulnier who represents the California congressional district where Isabel Bueso lives with her family and where she has been participating in medical studies that have helped save and extend the lives of Americans who suffer from the rare disease that Isabel has been struggling with all of her 24 years. Congressman, we are certain that Isabel is not going to be deported tomorrow, but do we know anything else about what happens next?

REP. MARK DESAULNIER (D-CA) (via telephone): Not really. We have a six-hour hearing, Lawrence, as you know, and thanks for inviting me on and all your reporting on this --

O`DONNELL: We`re having trouble with the Congressman`s telephone connection to us. I`m not sure if we have him. I just want to read a memo that was used in a meeting last week about this policy that "Politico" published today. It is from the Policy and Strategy Chief, Kathy Nuebel Kovarik, on the Citizenship and Immigration Services. And she wrote in that memo that her department and she - she "strongly believes that the exercise of deferred actions in subject to abuse," and she said "if we continue to accept such requests, even with narrow medical criteria, we will be creating a de facto program of criteria, which are not enumerated in the statute of regulations and that runs counter to the President`s agenda to enforce our existing laws." So there is the memo, the smoking gun so far, in the investigation of who is responsible for this. And that`s Kathy Nuebel Kovarik saying that this enforcing the President`s agenda, the President`s immigration agenda, to enforce our existing laws against people like Isabel, who you`re seeing on this screen right now. She was not the only beneficiary - medical beneficiary of this program to testify on Wednesday. Let`s listen to Jonathan Sanchez in Wednesday`s hearing.

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JONATHAN SANCHEZ, RECIPIENT OF MEDICAL DEFERRED ACTION: The day our lawyers told us that the medical deferred action program was canceled, I started crying and telling my mom I don`t want to die, I don`t want to die. If I go back to Honduras, I will die.

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O`DONNELL: According to Kathy Nuebel Kovarik`s memo, Jonathan Sanchez is one of the people who, in her view, might be abusing this program. She is claiming that because of abuse, people like Jonathan Sanchez cannot be allowed to stay in this country and have to be sent to their deaths. In his case, back to Honduras. Congressman DeSaulnier is back with us on the phone. And Congressman, this memo from "Politico" that`s been reported on today, I was just reading that for the audience. I know you`ve seen it. And this makes it pretty clear that it was part of Kathy Nuebel Kovarik, as she put it, the department and she strongly believe that this program was subject to abuse and had to be stopped.

REP. MARK DESAULNIER (D-CA) (via telephone): So we`d like them to demonstrate that. We have asked for all our documents the Oversight Committee staff has assured me today that we will get those. Looks like we`re going to have to issue subpoenas, because as usual, the administration is not forthcoming.

O`DONNELL: I think we`re losing the Congressman`s telephone connection again. He`s driving out there in the district somewhere. There`s a lot of hills and valleys there. Congressman DeSaulnier, thank you very much for joining us tonight.

DESAULNIER (via telephone): You`re welcome.

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