DILLEY, Texas (AP) — With growing unrest surrounding the Trump administration's immigration policies, Democratic Representatives Joaquin Castro and Jasmine Crockett made a visit on Wednesday to a Texas facility holding a 5-year-old Ecuadorian boy and his father, whose detention has sparked significant protests.
The father and son were detained in a Minneapolis suburb just last week, prompting Castro and Crockett to meet with the family and assess conditions at the detention center in Dilley, Texas. We’re going to find out in a little bit whether they’re going to honor their word, what they said they would allow us to do, which is to check on the welfare of these folks, Castro noted in a social media post.
Protesters rallied outside the South Texas Family Residential Center while detainees inside staged their own demonstration the weekend prior, showcasing the escalating discontent over current immigration enforcement practices.
Castro's visit is part of a broader Democratic effort to conduct oversight during an election year and draw attention to the impacts of stringent immigration laws, which many argue disproportionately affect vulnerable families.
Despite previous denials of access to detention facilities for some members of Congress, Castro was informed that detainees at the Dilley facility had been allowed to express interest in meeting with him and Crockett.
The detainment of the boy, Liam Conejo Ramos, and his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, occurred as part of a larger operation that has faced backlash in Minnesota, where protests were ignited after federal officers shot and killed two U.S. citizens during the crackdown. A federal judge recently ordered a temporary halt on removing Ramos and Arias from the U.S. as their case is contested.
Democrats have been vocal about their grievances regarding restricted access to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities, with several officials, including Minnesota's Reps. Angie Craig, Kelly Morrison, and Ilhan Omar, previously barred from entering a federal facility under the justification of new policy protocols.
Castro has condemned the actions of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, framing them as reckless and urgent reform is necessary. Crockett, who is also a U.S. Senate candidate, alongside others, is demanding changes in funding and oversight to prevent such situations from continuing.
As the funding debate escalates, Senate Democrats have expressed unwillingness to approve DHS funding, even considering the risk of a partial government shutdown if their calls for accountability go unmet.
The father and son were detained in a Minneapolis suburb just last week, prompting Castro and Crockett to meet with the family and assess conditions at the detention center in Dilley, Texas. We’re going to find out in a little bit whether they’re going to honor their word, what they said they would allow us to do, which is to check on the welfare of these folks, Castro noted in a social media post.
Protesters rallied outside the South Texas Family Residential Center while detainees inside staged their own demonstration the weekend prior, showcasing the escalating discontent over current immigration enforcement practices.
Castro's visit is part of a broader Democratic effort to conduct oversight during an election year and draw attention to the impacts of stringent immigration laws, which many argue disproportionately affect vulnerable families.
Despite previous denials of access to detention facilities for some members of Congress, Castro was informed that detainees at the Dilley facility had been allowed to express interest in meeting with him and Crockett.
The detainment of the boy, Liam Conejo Ramos, and his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, occurred as part of a larger operation that has faced backlash in Minnesota, where protests were ignited after federal officers shot and killed two U.S. citizens during the crackdown. A federal judge recently ordered a temporary halt on removing Ramos and Arias from the U.S. as their case is contested.
Democrats have been vocal about their grievances regarding restricted access to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities, with several officials, including Minnesota's Reps. Angie Craig, Kelly Morrison, and Ilhan Omar, previously barred from entering a federal facility under the justification of new policy protocols.
Castro has condemned the actions of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, framing them as reckless and urgent reform is necessary. Crockett, who is also a U.S. Senate candidate, alongside others, is demanding changes in funding and oversight to prevent such situations from continuing.
As the funding debate escalates, Senate Democrats have expressed unwillingness to approve DHS funding, even considering the risk of a partial government shutdown if their calls for accountability go unmet.
