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Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16), a member of the Immigration and Citizenship Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee, released the following statement after the House Judiciary Committee voted to advance her bill H.R. 2920, the “American Families United Act,” out of committee late last night: “For decades, too many American families have been forced to live apart from one… Read more »

Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16) issued the following statement on the Department of Justice’s investigation into Operation Lone Star: “Governor Greg Abbott’s “Operation Lone Star” has been an unmitigated disaster. Billions of dollars have been wasted and the readiness of our troops has been eroded. Governor Abbott has used our servicemembers as a political tool – they and the… Read more »

Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16) issued the following statement after hosting President Joe Biden’s Homeland Security Advisor Dr. Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall: “The best way to learn about the border and our community is to personally experience all it has to offer. El Paso has found itself – as it has for many years – as a focal point in the conversation about immigration and border… Read more »

Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16) issued the following statement on Title 42 and the Biden Administration’s proposed changes to asylum proceedings: “The use of Title 42, introduced by the Trump Administration, effectively eliminated access to legal asylum in our country. I have been calling for an end to Title 42 since it began and I am hopeful that the Biden Administration will… Read more »

This critical legislation establishes a humane and equitable asylum process designed for America’s immigration realities in the 21st century. Read more »

By Lauren Villagran Even as the number of people seeking asylum at the southern border has grown, Congress has done little to change how the U.S. treats asylum seekers. U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-El Paso) on Tuesday introduced a bill, the "Re-imagining Asylum Processing Act," that proposes to overhaul how asylum claims are made and treated at the Southwest border. The bill would… Read more »

By Anthony Jackson Texas lawmakers from the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday toured the site on Fort Bliss where Afghan refugees are being housed. U.S. Reps. Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso; Sylvia Garcia, D-Houston; and Marc Veasey, D-Fort Worth, toured the Fort Bliss Doña Ana County Range Complex, dubbed Doña Ana Village, where nearly 10,000 Afghan refugees… Read more »

Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16) and Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) sent a letter with a bicameral group of lawmakers to President Biden urging him to take all necessary legal steps to terminate the Remain in Mexico policy – or the perversely named Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) – that placed tens of thousands of asylum seekers and migrants in danger. Read more »

By Anthony Jackson and Lauren Villagran About 1,200 Afghan refugees landed at Fort Bliss on Wednesday, many with hopes for a new life in the United States and fears for those left behind in a country in turmoil, according to U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso. The congresswoman said she toured the refugee shelter on Wednesday at Fort Bliss, which will take in up… Read more »

Congresswoman Veronica Escobar issued the following statement after hosting Vice President Kamala Harris to El Paso: “El Paso – America’s new Ellis Island – was ground-zero for the Trump administration’s cruelty at the border, has had to endure the deadly consequences of anti-immigrant rhetoric, and in the face of every challenge, has responded with compassion and goodwill. It is fitting… Read more »