Rep. Castro says ICE sought to deport families to Venezuela after earthquakes
Source: The Hill
07/01/26 3:08 PM ET
Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) on Wednesday accused Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) of trying to deport children and families to Venezuela despite the country grappling with a massive humanitarian catastrophe following record-breaking earthquakes last week.
Castro, in a post on Facebook, warned that the children and families continue to face deportation “at any time” despite Venezuela grappling with the overwhelming needs of thousands of displaced people, tens of thousands missing, an estimated 1,000 destroyed buildings — including hospitals — and disrupted services to water and electricity.
Castro said ICE attempted to deport children and families detained at the immigrant detention center in Dilley, Texas, hours after two earthquakes struck north-central Venezuela on the evening of June 24. An estimated 2,000 people were killed in the earthquakes, though some expenumber is viewed as a severe undercount.
“They were woken up in the middle of the night and sent to Arizona on their way to Venezuela. The families were ultimately sent back to Dilley but worry that they could be deported at any time,” the lawmaker wrote. “It is unthinkable to send children and families, who have committed no crimes, into a country plunged into chaos by natural disaster.”
Read more: https://thehill.com/policy/international/5950191-castro-ice-venezuela-earthquakes/