Immigration and Border Issues

WASHINGTON — Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) issued the following statement following a 5-4 Supreme Court decision allowing the Trump Administration to put into effect the public charge rule while litigation on the cases continue. The public charge rule would allow the government to deny permanent residency to immigrant families that may use public programs and benefits:

WASHINGTON — U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, along with U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, Senate Judiciary Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein, Immigration Subcommittee Ranking Member Dick Durbin and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, Immigration and Citizenship Subcommittee Chairwoman Zoe Lofgren, Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chairman Joaquin Castro and Representative Veronica Escobar, led 113 of their colleagues in submitting an Amicus Brief in Flores v Barr. The Brief urges the Ninth Circuit to reject the Trump Administration’s latest attempt to gut the Flores Settlement Agreement, which provides vital, long-standing protections for children. Flores is key to ensuring there are minimum health and safety requirements for the custody of children.

WASHINGTON — On Friday, January 17, 2020, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and Congressman Filemon Vela (TX-34) will lead a Congressional delegation to Brownsville, Texas and Matamoros, Mexico to investigate the impacts of the Trump Administration’s Remain in Mexico policy and the use of tent court facilities to adjudicate Remain in Mexico asylum cases.

WASHINGTON — Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) issued the following statement after the Trump Administration confirmed it will begin sending Mexican asylum seekers to Guatemala as part of a bilateral agreement between the Department of Homeland Security and the Guatemalan Government:

WASHINGTON—– On Tuesday, December 10th, members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus will hold a press conference marking the anniversary of the deaths of two migrant children and call for CBP to provide flu vaccines and substantive medical care to migrants in their custody.

WASHINGTON—Today, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Immigration (CHC) Task Force, chaired by Congresswoman Linda T. Sánchez (CA-38), announced CHC’s Immigration Principles for the 116th Congress.

WASHINGTON—Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Chairman-Elect of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), Rep. Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), and 25 CHC members submitted a comment opposing the proposed rulemaking changes to the “public charge” rule. In a letter to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Office of Policy and Strategy Chief Samantha Deshommes, the Members highlighted that redefining public charge would harm immigrant families, pit survival of families against the hope for American citizenship, and endanger the ability of legal residents to continue on a path to citizenship if they seek any food or healthcare assistance for their children.