Texas Border Business
By Roberto Hugo González / Texas Border Business
Pastor Mike Smith, director of the Holding Community Center in Laredo, said the recent release of immigrant families by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement marks a moment that calls for compassion and responsibility, as local organizations respond to an increase in families arriving from federal detention.
“And perhaps this is a shift in the moral compass of the current administration,” Smith said. “I don’t know, but if it is, I would call on them to err on the side of humanity and to do something that is without questioning — it’s just the right thing to do.”
Smith said his organization has recently seen families released from detention facilities arrive in Laredo with little more than the clothes they are wearing. He said the goal of the Holding Community Center is simple: provide food, shelter, and safety while families figure out their next steps.
“We’re talking about simple things,” Smith said. “Receiving people, providing food and shelter, and doing it in a safe way. We don’t want people on the streets, and we want to help as many people as we can.”
The comments came during a press conference at the Holding Community Center, where U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar confirmed that ICE has begun releasing families from the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley and transferring them to Laredo.
“I held a press conference to raise awareness about ICE transferring detained families from the Dilley facility to Laredo,” Cuellar said. “They are being released to local shelters and expected to make their way back to their communities.”
Cuellar said the releases began increasing in January and are expected to continue. He said the families include both recent border crossers and individuals who were already living in the United States and attending immigration court hearings.
“Some of them were picked up when they were going to immigration court,” Cuellar said. “They go to the facility, they spend time there, and then they’re released.”
He said the releases are tied to the Flores Settlement Agreement of 1997, which limits how long children can be held in immigration detention. “There’s still the Flores Settlement Agreement that says kids are not supposed to be held more than maybe 21 days,” Cuellar said. “So, they are released.”
According to Cuellar, the process is not new and has been used under multiple administrations. What has changed, he said, is the number of families being released and the strain it places on local nonprofit organizations.
Families released by ICE are taken to nonprofit shelters like the Holding Community Center, where they are given food, clothing, access to phones, and help arranging transportation to relatives or sponsors. If they arrive late at night, they may stay temporarily. If they arrive during the day, many leave within hours after contacting family members.
“They’re not staying for days,” Cuellar said. “They want to get back to their families as soon as they can.”
Cuellar said many of those released face uncertainty because their immigration cases effectively restart. “They go back not knowing what will happen next — whether they still have a job, a home, or a place to stay,” he said.
Cuellar also referenced the federal Humanitarian Relief Program, which he helped create during the Obama administration, to assist border communities dealing with the release of migrants. He said the program initially provided modest funding to help local governments and nonprofits cover basic needs such as food, shelter, and transportation. As migrant arrivals increased and other cities began requesting assistance, the program expanded significantly. “When it got to about $800 million, that’s when it was canceled,” Cuellar said, explaining that political opposition and misinformation about how the funds were being used led to its termination. He said the loss of the program has left local organizations to rely heavily on donations and volunteers to continue providing humanitarian aid.
Laredo City Council member Melissa R. Cigarroa praised local groups for continuing their work despite limited resources.
“I want to express my deep appreciation to the organizations here in the city of Laredo whose mission is to help people in a dignified way and to keep families together,” Cigarroa said. “The city will do everything possible to support organizations that are helping people through this process.”
Smith said, regardless of politics, the focus remains on helping people in need.
“This is about doing what’s right,” he said. “These are families, and they deserve to be treated with dignity.”
