CHC Statement Marking Departure of Acting DHS Secretary McAleenan

WASHINGTON — Today, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus released the following statement marking the end of Kevin McAleenan's tenure as Acting Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security:

"The American people will not forget the chaos and human suffering that marked Acting Secretary McAleenan's tenure at the Department of Homeland Security. Instead of fulfilling the mission of DHS to uphold our national security, Acting Secretary McAleenan worked to enforce some of the Department's most destructive policies: gutting asylum laws, restricting legal immigration, and allowing rampant inhumane conditions to occur in migrant detention. He was one of the original architects of the Administration's Zero Tolerance Policy, which separated at least 5,400 families and inflicted psychological trauma on thousands of parents and children. Multiple migrant children, including Felipe Alonzo Gomez and Jakelin Caal Maquin, died on McAleenan's watch as CBP Commissioner.

"In July, Acting Secretary McAleenan said that reports of the poor conditions in migrant detention were ‘unsubstantiated.' His denials of the truth will not erase the suffering that we've witnessed at Clint, where dozens of children and babies were left dirty, hungry, and crying for weeks. His denials won't alleviate the pain of families whose loved ones died in US custody.

"Acting Secretary McAleenan stood by President Trump and Stephen Miller's most egregious anti-immigrant policies and lied to Congress. We will never forget the role he played in enforcing chaos and cruelty. As the Congressional Hispanic Caucus continues to hold the Trump Administration accountable for their actions against immigrant families, we firmly oppose the appointment of any individual to lead DHS that does not treat immigrants with dignity and respect."

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The Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), founded in December 1976, is organized as a Congressional Member organization, governed under the Rules of the U.S. House of Representatives. The CHC is dedicated to voicing and advancing, through the legislative process, issues affecting Hispanics in the United States, Puerto Rico and U.S. Territories