Immigration and Border Issues

SAN ANTONIO — Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), issued the following statement after the first reported coronavirus-related death in immigration custody.

WASHINGTON—Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus led by Chairman Joaquin Castro sent a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Azar and Acting Homeland Security Secretary Wolf urging the Office of Refugee Resettlement's (ORR) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) follow the federal legal and policy requirements to ensure the health and safety of unaccompanied migrant children amid pandemic and to swiftly and safely place children in sponsor homes. Unaccompanied migrant children in US custody face a heightened risk during the global COVID-19 crisis.

WASHINGTON— On Friday, May 1^st, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus led by Chairman Joaquin Castro will convene a press call with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, mixed-status family members, and an attorney with the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF) to discuss the importance of ensuring that all American households in financial need, including those with family members of mixed immigration status, receive COVID-19 stimulus aid.

WASHINGTON—Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chairman Joaquin Castro and over 100 House Democrats sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell urging him to bring H.R 6 to a vote. Over 330,000 DACA recipients and TPS holders are supporting our nation during this crisis by serving as "essential critical infrastructure workers," according to DHS guidance. The Supreme Court could rule today or in the near future on President's Trump decision to terminate DACA protections.

SAN ANTONIO—Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair Joaquin Castro (TX-20) issued the following statement in response to President Trump's executive order on suspending immigration:

"Rather than address the lack of testing or bring together a grieving nation after over 40,000 Americans have died from the coronavirus, President Trump is instead diverting attention away from his failures by blaming immigrants and using this crisis to advance his anti-immigrant agenda.

WASHINGTON—Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chairman Joaquin Castro and over 50 members of the Democratic Caucus are calling on the Trump administration to allow DACA recipients to access Affordable Care Act benefits in response to the coronavirus crisis. This action is critical for the over 200,000 DACA recipients that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security classifies as 'essential critical infrastructure workers.'

WASHINGTON—Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), First Vice Chair Ruben Gallego (AZ-07), Second Vice Chair Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44), Whip Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), and Freshman Representative Veronica Escobar (TX-16) issued the following statement after reports of a half-a-billion-dollar no-bid contract was awarded to major Republican donor for border wall construction:

WASHINGTON— Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) Members calls on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to halt the expulsions of unaccompanied children and follow the safeguards that Congress created to protect children from exploitation and human trafficking.