WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragán (D-CA) and a delegation of members in the House Committee on Homeland Security will visit and tour facilities in El Paso, Texas, where they will examine immigration policies and operations along our southern border. The Members will also visit the Paso Del Norte Bridge, under which hundreds of migrants were inhumanely held.
The delegation will be led by Rep. Kathleen Rice (D-NY), Chairwoman of the Committee on Homeland Security’s Border Security, Facilitation and Operations Subcommittee, and joined by Vice Chair Lauren Underwood (D-IL), Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) and Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ).
“The United States has always been a country of immigrants, where those seeking refuge and asylum have been welcomed with open arms,” said Rep. Barragán. “What’s happening at the border right now is not a reflection of our values— it’s a humanitarian crisis. When I hear that children are dying and that families are inhumanely being held under bridges for days on end, I feel inclined to bring attention to this mistreatment and find ways to stop these human rights violations. The answer to what’s happening at the border is not a wall, harsher immigration policies, closing the border or cutting foreign aid to the Northern Triangle. During my trip, I look forward to speaking to those on the ground and assessing how we can implement bipartisan solutions.”
The group is also expected to meet with residents in the surrounding border communities where they will hear about their experiences and how their lives have been affected by the Administration’s immigration policies and practices.
Live updates of the trip here.
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Nanette Diaz Barragán is proud to represent California’s 44th Congressional District, which includes the communities of Carson, Compton, Florence-Firestone, Lynwood, North Long Beach, Rancho Dominguez, San Pedro, South Gate, Walnut Park, Watts, Willowbrook and Wilmington.