(CNN) US Citizenship and Immigration Services announced Monday that it will re-open some pending cases of those applying for relief from deportation after a move to end deferment requests prompted concerns among undocumented families, some of whom are seeking relief for medical issues.

Earlier this month, USCIS sent letters to family members who had requested relief from deportation, saying the agency's field offices "no longer consider requests for deferred action," except for certain military exceptions.

The change in policy stoked fear and confusion for families, and took Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which has discretion to determine who will and won't be arrested or deported, by surprise.

After media reports surfaced about the change in policy, USCIS said its field offices would no longer consider nonmilitary requests for deferred action -- temporary relief from deportation.

On Monday, the agency appeared to slightly reverse course, saying that it would "reopen non-military deferred action cases that were pending on August 7."

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