Immigration and Border Issues

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Congressional Hispanic Caucus and Democratic Committee Chairs sent a letter to Health and Human Services Deputy Inspector General Grimm calling on him to investigate allegations that ICE is interfering with ORR's legal obligation under the Flores Settlement to place children in the least restrictive settings, including placement with suitable sponsors.

The letter was signed by Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair Joaquin Castro (TX-20), House Judiciary Committee Chair Jerrold Nadler (NY-10), House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Chair Rosa DeLauro (CT-3), House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security Chair Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-40), and House Judiciary Immigration and Citizenship Subcommittee Chair Zoe Lofgren (CA-19).

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Congressional Hispanic Caucus and Democratic Committee Chairs sent a letter to Acting DHS Secretary Wolf and Acting ICE Director Albence calling on DHS and ICE to halt deportations of unaccompanied children and guarantee due process protections.

The letter was signed by Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair Joaquin Castro (TX-20), House Judiciary Committee Chair Jerrold Nadler (NY-10), House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Chair Rosa DeLauro (CT-3), House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security Chair Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-40), and House Judiciary Immigration and Citizenship Subcommittee Chair Zoe Lofgren (CA-19).

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus led by Chairman Joaquin Castro are calling on the Trump administration halt deportation flights and urging the Administration to swiftly and safely release individuals in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19, preserve regional stability, and save lives. In a letter sent to Secretary of State Pompeo and Acting Homeland Security Secretary Wolf, CHC Members raised concerns that the U.S. practice of deporting and expelling migrants throughout the Latin America and Caribbean region is contributing to the rapid spread of the COVID-19 virus to countries least able to protect people from the deadly virus.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Wednesday, May 20, at 3:30 p.m. ET, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus led by Chairman Joaquin Castro will host a press call with Wendy Young, President of Kids In Need of Defense (KIND), and Dr. Katherine Peeler, Pediatric Faculty Member of Harvard Media School and a medical expert with Physicians for Human Rights. The panel will discuss the Trump Administration's unjust treatment of unaccompanied children seeking asylum at the southern border ahead of the CDC's potential public health order's indefinite extension.

WASHINGTON — Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chairman Joaquin Castro, Congressman Joe Kennedy III, and 46 House Democratic members sent a letter to Acting Homeland Security Secretary Wolf urging him take immediate steps to safely and swiftly reduce detention population numbers to help safeguard public health.

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.

"CHC Members send our condolences to the family and loved ones of the person who had tested positive for COVID-19 and later died in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody after being hospitalized from Otay Mesa Detention Center in California. While ICE has yet to confirm the death and all the details are still pending, it's nevertheless evident that this tragedy is exactly what lawmakers, doctors and public health experts have been working to avoid.

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.