The caravan carrying key congressional members arrived in Karnes County early Monday afternoon. Their mission is to ensure the safety and possible release of the 476 women and children currently detained inside the Karnes County Residential Center.
"About 135 of us signed a letter to the administration that we believe that women and children who are fleeing persecution and violence, who we believe should be allowed to apply for asylum, should be housed in other ways besides these detention centers," said Rep. Joaquin Castro of Texas.
Before meeting with prison officials and immigrant families at the facility, Castro and four other House Democrats held a question-and answer session at St. Mary's University.
"I wanted to ask them if they thought how and when are we going to be able for the immigration reform to take place. Because it's been forever," said Jesus Rios-Vidales, a San Antonio resident.
"They're talking about detention centers that need to close. It's very easy to have these conversations and then not see it done," said Itza Carbajal of the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center.
"Detention of families, refugee families who are completely nonviolent, pose no threat to anybody, is immoral. It's unconstitutional," said Virginia Raymond, an immigration attorney.
Back in Karnes, government authorities said congressional leaders spoke to detainees privately, away from prison officials.
This type of facility, which houses only families, is the first of its kind to open in South Central Texas.
In response to this story, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials released a statement late Monday evening. The statement can be read below.
"Family residential centers are an effective and humane alternative for maintaining family unity as families go through immigration proceedings or await return to their home countries. ICE ensures that these residential centers operate in an open environment, which includes medical care, play rooms, social workers, educational services, and facilitation of access to legal counsel. ICE has recently taken additional measures to promote these values, including addressing language access issues for speakers of indigenous languages, providing dedicated work spaces for pro bono attorneys, and making available additional attorney-client meeting rooms. All ICE family residential facilities are governed by strict standards, and extensively monitored and audited. Senior DHS leadership have also routinely undertaken on-site reviews of ICE’s residential facilities, including Secretary Johnson who recently toured the Karnes Texas facility with his senior staff.
ICE has also recently implemented a review process for any families detained beyond 90 days, and every 60 days thereafter, to ensure detention or the designated bond amount continues to be appropriate while families await conclusion of their immigration proceedings before the Department of Justice’s Executive Office for Immigration Review.
Secretary Johnson has made it clear that individuals apprehended crossing the border illegally, including families, are an agency priority and that ICE should allocate enforcement resources accordingly. As directed in the Secretary’s November 20, 2014 memorandum, ICE is using appropriate prosecutorial discretion and dedicating resources, to the greatest degree possible, to the removal of individuals who are considered enforcement priorities, who include recent border entrants. ICE makes custody determinations on a case-by-case basis, considering all the merits and factors of each case while adhering to agency priorities, guidelines and legal mandates."