Press Releases
Congresswoman Escobar Statement on Alarming Reports of Sexual Assault at ICE El Paso Processing Center
El Paso, Texas,
August 15, 2020
Today, Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16) issued the following statement in response to news reports of alleged sexual assault of detainees at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Processing Center in El Paso: “The extremely alarming reports of alleged systematic sexual harassment and assault of detainees in ICE custody is a disturbing reminder of the danger and indignities migrants face under the Trump administration. “As a member of the House Judiciary Committee, I am calling on the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Office of Inspector General, the ICE Office of Professional Responsibility, and the DHS Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties to conduct swift, full, and transparent investigations to ensure that the ICE officials responsible for these criminal actions are held accountable. “While the investigations are ongoing, the victims must not be retaliated against and those still in custody must be immediately released to a sponsor and shielded from deportation until the conclusion of all investigations. Justice must be served.” ### |