Press Releases
May 20, 2019
Press Release
WASHINGTON—– Tomorrow, May 20th, members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus will hold a press conference on the death of a 16-year-old in custody of U.S. immigration agencies. The death, which was reported to Congress today, is the fifth death of a minor in the custody of federal immigration officials in the last six months.
May 16, 2019
Press Release
WASHINGTON — Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, released the following statement in response to President Trump’s proposed plan to address immigration in the United States:
May 11, 2019
Press Release
Congress Intended USCIS to be a Service-Oriented Agency Tasked to Efficiently Process Immigration Cases
WASHINGTON— Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Chairman of the Hispanic Caucus, and 81 of his Democratic colleagues called on Gene Dodaro, Comptroller General of the United States, to instruct the GAO to thoroughly examine the backlog of immigration cases at United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and work with the agency to fulfill its mission of processing immigration cases. The current immigration backlog stands at over 2.3 million, with case processing times rising to 33 months. The processing time rose significantly at the onset of the Trump Administration, despite lower rates of new cases.
May 7, 2019
Press Release
Added Red Tape and Heightened Financial Burdens Are Part of Trump Administration’s “Second Wall”
WASHINGTON— Congressional Hispanic Caucus members notified U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ (USCIS) Chief of Regulatory Coordination Samantha Deshommes of the Caucus’s official opposition to their proposal to stop accepting proof of means-tested benefit as evidence of their eligibility for a fee waiver. The proposed rule would heighten the second wall by enforcing additional red tape, lengthening processing times, and adding costs on immigrant families who may not be able to afford it.
May 5, 2019
Press Release
SAN ANTONIO— Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), released the following statement on Cinco de Mayo:
Apr 30, 2019
Press Release
Repeated undercounting of Hispanic communities must end with the 2020 Census
WASHINGTON— Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) Leadership called on Dr. Steven Dillingham, Director of the United States Census Bureau, to meet with the Caucus to discuss the 2020 United States Census and decisions by the Bureau that could result in reduced participation among Hispanic communities. Further, CHC Members plan to discuss what steps the Bureau can take to ensure that the 2020 Census is best positioned to count every person living in the United States. The undercounting of Hispanic communities threatens the democratic representation of all Americans for the next decade.
Apr 30, 2019
Press Release
Barker’s confirmation would be a serious setback for our civil rights and liberties
WASHINGTON— Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) Leaders and members of the Texas Congressional Delegation called on Senate Leadership to reject the nomination of J. Campbell Barker to serve on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. Judge Barker’s record demonstrates his longstanding opposition to the civil and voting rights of Americans, and a disregard for justice for communities of color, women, immigrants and LGBTQ Americans.
Apr 23, 2019
Press Release
Latinos and communities of color are disproportionately affected by diabetes
WASHINGTON— Congressional Hispanic Caucus Leadership called on the Chief Executive Officers and Presidents of Eli Lilly, Sanofi, and Novo Nordic Inc. – three of the leading insulin producers in the pharmaceutical industry - to meet with the Caucus and work to reduce the rising cost of insulin.
Apr 22, 2019
Press Release
Climate Change and Pollution Disproportionately Impact Hispanic Communities
WASHINGTON— Today, Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chairman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) and Congressman Mike Levin (CA-49), Chairman of the CHC Task Force on Environment, Public Lands, and Water, and member of the House Committee on Natural Resources and Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, honored Earth Day.
Apr 19, 2019
Press Release
A commitment to diversity will open the doors to communities under-represented in the arts and culture
WASHINGTON— Today, the Chairs of the Congressional Tri-Caucus – which is composed of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, the Congressional Black Caucus, and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus – called on the Smithsonian Board of Regents to prioritize consideration of a person of color or a woman as the Smithsonian Institution’s next Secretary in order to ensure that the organization’s leadership reflects the diversity of the American people.