Provides funding for humanitarian needs, alternatives to detention, and more
WASHINGTON— Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28), a member of the Conference Committee on Homeland Security Appropriations, helped secure millions in the fiscal year 2019 Homeland SecurityAppropriations bill. Specifically, the Congressman’sfunding increases humanitarian relief for migrants in U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) custody, improves conditions at U.S. Border Patrol central processing centers, and increases oversight and transparency at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centers at the border.
“We must make sure that we do everything that we can in order to provide the most humane and safe environment to those who are in CBP custody,” said Congressman Cuellar. “That is why I worked hard to help secure funding in this fiscal year’s appropriations bill that specifically targets this issue.”
He continued, “It is imperative that we provide essential resources to central processing centers and increase transparency at detention facilities at the border. This funding will increase accountability and oversight when it comes to treating immigrant families fairly and with dignity.”
Increasing Humanitarian Relief and Improving Central Processing Centers
Congressman Cuellar has made it a top priority to improve the conditions of CBP short-term processing centers along the border by specifically including $30 million for renovations to the McAllen, TX Central Processing Center in the Rio Grande Valley Sector. He helped secure $415 million to address humanitarian support and overall improvements to central processing centers that will bring much needed hygiene and medical assistance to migrants in short-term detention, particularly children and families at the U.S.-Mexico border in need of medical attention, meals, clothing, diapers, baby formula, blankets, and showers.
Improving Conditions at Detention Centers
Congressman Cuellar has been at the forefront when it comes to improving conditions at detention centers. In 2014, he was one of the first Members of Congress to reveal the need for improvement at border detention facilities. Since then, he has worked to ensure the humane and dignified treatment of those who come to America’s borders. In previous appropriations bills, Congressman Cuellar secured language directing ICE to make available food, water, and medical care to families in custody at the border. This document <https://cuellar.house.gov/UploadedFiles/Detention_Center_Approps_Language.pdf> includes Congressman Cuellar’s appropriations language on improving conditions and increasing oversight at detention centers from fiscal year 2015 through 2019.
In the current fiscal year, he helped secure additional language to address the conditions at ICE and contract detention centers. This language directly increases transparency at detention facilities by requiring ICE to make information public about the people in custody such as: families, border apprehension detainees, interior enforcement detainees, and those who are in custody who have a possible credible fear claim.
Furthermore, it prohibits ICE from using personal information about sponsors of unaccompanied children to arrest, detain, or remove those individuals, unless that information reveals the individual has a dangerous criminal background. It also provides protection and oversight of pregnant women in DHS/ICE custody.
Alternatives to Detention
Additionally, Congressman Cuellar secured the expansion of the alternatives to detention (ATD) to 100,000 participants, up from 79,000 in FY18. ATD programs, which include regular check-ins and ankle monitors, provide an alternative route for certain undocumented immigrants in ICE custody. Specifically, they place low-risk undocumented immigrants under various forms of intensive supervision or electronic monitoring, in lieu of detention, to ensure their appearance for immigration hearings and, in some cases, for their removal.
The Congressman’s language requires ICE to report the number of people who are participating in the ATD program. The bill also includes the following:
· $30.5 million for ATD family case management, which improves compliance with immigration court obligations by helping families’ access community-based support for basic housing, healthcare, legal, and educational needs.
· $40 million for additional ICE staffing dedicated to overall ATD case management, specifically for asylum seekers.
· Additional funding for detention facility inspectors in the Office of Professional Oversight to increase facility inspections to twice per year.
Congressman Cuellar added, “I want to thank my fellow Appropriators and Homeland Security Appropriations Chairwoman Lucille Roybal-Allard and Ranking Member Chuck Fleischmann for helping include this funding that will help address the humane treatment of those in CBP custody. I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues on finding practical, long-term solutions to fix our broken immigration system.”
