Immigration and Border Issues

Washington, D.C. — Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) Chair Rep. Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) led an effort to demand Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Acting Director Todd Lyons put an end to child detention.

In a letter to Lyons delivered Friday, Espaillat laid out the medical, developmental, social, moral and legal failings of the administration's family and minor detention policies.

At South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas (commonly known as “Dilley”) more than 400 individuals are being held, including 49 families that include at least 77 children and 244 women.

This Holy Thursday, Reps. Espaillat and Menendez visited Pastor Yeison Cortes Vasquez — a pastor in ICE custody despite no criminal record, as faith leaders and churches are increasingly being targeted

NEWARK, NJ - Today Representatives Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), and Rob Menendez (NJ-08), CHC Vice Chair of Policy, gained access to Delaney Hall Detention Facility in Newark, New Jersey to conduct a welfare check on Pastor Yeison Cortes Vasquez, a faith and community leader detained at the facility by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

CHC Chair Rep. Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Sens. Catherine Cortez-Masto (D-NV) and Alex Padilla (D-CA), Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade Ranking Member Rep. Linda Sánchez (CA-38), and Rep. Jimmy Gomez (CA-34) lead 115 colleagues on amicus filing.

Washington, D.C. — The Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) led XX House and Senate Democrats in filing a bicameral amicus brief standing up for the essential principle of taxpayer privacy in Center for Taxpayer Rights v. IRS, currently before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit. 

Washington, D.C. — Following Sen. Markwayne Mullin's Senate confirmation as the next Homeland Security secretary the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) leadership issued the following statement:

“As long as Stephen Miller is in control, there is no 'kinder, gentler’ DHS. We know President Trump fired Secretary Noem not because of her corruption, incompetence or open disdain for civil liberties, but because she was dragging down his poll numbers.

We have no reason to think Markwayne Mullin will be any different. 

Washington, D.C. — Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) Chair Rep. Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) released the following statement on Monday in response to President Trump's deployment of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in airports:

“This is a dangerous escalation that politicizes our airports and undermines the rule of law. Threatening mass arrests based on nationality is discriminatory, unlawful, and puts civil liberties at risk," said CHC Chair Rep. Adriano Espaillat. "During a time when airline operations are under heightened scrutiny, our aviation system must remain focused on safety, not serve as a tool for fear or political theater.”

About the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC)

Washington, D.C. — The Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) released the following statement in response to the New York Times article detailing allegations of sexual assault against César Chávez.

"Accountability never dies.

The allegations published against César Chávez are deeply disturbing and profoundly serious. We cannot celebrate a man, regardless of his accomplishments, if he harmed women and children in such vile ways.

While it's heartbreaking when leaders are exposed as flawed beyond absolution, a just society has a duty to hold abusers accountable without exception.