Congressman Gonzalez Statement on Release of Thousands of Detained Family Units with No Course of Action

WASHINGTON – Congressman Vicente Gonzalez (TX-15) issued the following statement in response to reports that the City of McAllen Police Department and Hidalgo County officials were notified that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agencies are at more than 2,000 persons over capacity and have plans to release an unconfirmed number of family units currently being detained on the U.S.-Mexico Border.

Congressman Gonzalez will continue to engage with U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan in regards to this matter. DHS Secretary Kristjen Nielsen is set to visit McAllen, Texas on Thursday, March 21, 2019.

"On Monday, I received word that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is planning to release detained family units and migrants without processing, without proper plans for housing, and with no course of reasonable action.

"This has created concern amongst local law enforcement, who are wondering ‘why' this procedure was deemed appropriate – or even necessary. These local officials are asking: Where will these individuals go? How does the Administration plan to continue to process them? The Administration can no longer claim asylum seekers are criminals, nor can they claim that there is an emergency along the border, considering the haphazard nature of their handling of this situation."

"President Trump, Secretary Nielsen, and the entire Administration have been presented with the truth – there is no crisis on the U.S.-Mexico Border. Their response? Create one."

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