House Democrats Demand Probe into Family Separations at Texas Border

In an aerial view, immigrants line up to be processed to make asylum claims at a makeshift migrant camp in El Paso, Texas, on May 11, 2023. John Moore/Getty Images

House Democrats are seeking an investigation into Texas’ separation of illegal immigrants attempting to enter the United States at the Texas border.

In an Aug. 15 letter (pdf) issued to the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) called for an immediate, thorough, and public inquiry of the Texas Department of Public Safety’s (DPS) separation of illegal immigrant families.

The CHC also asks that both organizations do what they can to end what they call a “cruel” practice and keep families together. The letter was signed by 28 representatives and released along with statements from several group members.

“The reports that children and families at the U.S.-Mexico border are being traumatized through cruel separation tactics ordered by Governor Greg Abbott are disturbing,” said CHC Chair Nanette Barragán (D-Calif.).

The lawmaker asserted that Mr.Abbott has escalated the “inhumane” border policies, which she asserts are causing harm to “innocent people.”

The California lawmaker also claims that some of the men who cross the border and are apprehended by the Texas DPS are held in “deplorable conditions” without the ability to communicate with their wives and children, as well as being told they would be reunited with loved ones if they admit their guilt.

“The CHC will not stand for the mistreatment of vulnerable migrant families and asylum seekers,” Ms. Barragán said. “We call on the DOJ and DHS to investigate these allegations and ensure these families are reunited so they can proceed with their immigration cases together.”

Fellow Democrat lawmaker Rep. Joaquin Castor (D-Texas) asserted in the press release that, “With Operation Lone Star, Governor Greg Abbott is taking our country down a road that is reminiscent of the worst episodes of moral failure in our country’s history ... Americans deserve serious conversations about immigration reform, but this brutality has no place in our country. There’s a right way to treat people and a wrong way to treat people, and the federal government has a responsibility to step in and protect human rights.”

Letter Demands

The letter, addressed to Attorney General Merrick Garland and DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, called for an immediate investigation and intervention into the deliberate separation of illegal immigrant families by the Texas DPS along the Rio Grande sector of the U.S.-Mexico border.

The group cited reports that at least 26 families have been broken up since July 10, with fathers arrested for criminal trespass and placed in state prison.

Particular concern arises from the alleged coercion of guilty pleas in exchange for release and reunion. CHC has called for expedited DOJ investigation into these claims, focusing on potential due process violations. The DOJ is urged to protect the rights of those in custody and collaborate with DHS to reunite affected families.

After being transferred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody, fathers are, according to the letter, subject to expedited removal without connection to the families they were separated from. Mr. Mayorkas is requested to investigate these cases and ensure fathers’ non-placement in expedited removal, advocating for broader prevention of parent-child separations.

Mr. Abbott’s escalating measures at the Texas border, including sharp defense mechanisms, concertina wire barriers, and pushing illegal immigrants back into the Rio Grande, are denounced as inhumane and called fatal. CHC’s letter applauds the DOJ’s lawsuit against Texas for installing barriers in the Rio Grande but implores further action to curb Mr. Abbott’s policies.

The CHC demands a comprehensive response from DOJ and DHS detailing efforts to reunite separated families, protect due process rights, and prevent future separations.

Illegal immigrants wait to be taken by Border Patrol to a processing facility to begin their asylum-seeking process in Eagle Pass, Texas, on June 25, 2023. Suzanne Cordeiro/AFP via Getty Images

A spokesperson for DHS responded to the letter in an email to The Epoch Times, saying, “This report is troubling. We can both enforce our laws and treat human beings with dignity. Unlawful border crossings have gone down since our border enforcement plan went into effect. Managing our border in a safe and humane way works best when we all work together to respect the dignity of every human being and keep our communities safe.”

Republican Response to the Border

On the other side of the political aisle, Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) is calling on Republicans to block funding for DHS until President Joe Biden’s administration meets more aggressive criteria for border security.

Mr. Roy began distributing a letter (pdf) to fellow lawmakers on Aug. 8, in which he expressed concern over the impact of unlawful border crossings and cross-border trafficking on his home state and urged Republicans to compel the Biden administration to adopt new border security policies.

“Criminal cartels maintain operational control of the border. Migrants are dying on Texas ranches and along the Rio Grande. Little children are enslaved in the sex-trafficking trade,” Mr. Roy wrote.

“Fences are being cut, livestock are escaping, ranchers are threatened, and high-speed chases are tearing through small towns. Perhaps most deadly, dangerous fentanyl is pouring into our communities via an open border – empowering China and cartels while killing 200 Americans per day.”

Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) speaks during a House Rules Committee meeting in Washington on June 20, 2023. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

Instead of passing a full-year appropriations bill for DHS, the Texas Republican argued that the Republican-controlled House should withhold such funding “until the necessary steps are taken to secure the border.”

In his proposed list of border security measures, Mr. Roy suggested that legislators could advocate for the passage of H.R. 2 or a similarly robust border security bill. The Republican-controlled House passed H.R. 2 along party lines in May, but the Democrat-controlled Senate has not yet taken up the bill.

The Texas DPS did not immediately respond to The Epoch Times’s request for comment.