Rep. Castro says ICE sought to deport families to Venezuela after earthquakes

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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.”

Castro also highlighted the 146 people deported from the United States to Venezuela shortly before the earthquake — 120 men, 19 women and 7 children — and who were staying in a hotel that collapsed when the quakes struck.

It’s not clear how many died and how many survived. The New York Times reported at least 10 people made it out of the building, while Reuters reported that survivor counts ranged from 12 to 32.

“Last week, 146 men, women, and children were deported back home to Venezuela hours before the earthquakes—many are suspected to have been killed,” Castro wrote.

“These actions are cruel and un-American. I am calling on the Trump Administration to halt all deportations to Venezuela and to shut down the Dilley Trailer Prison.”

The Hill has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for comment. ICE referred questions to the DHS.

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Joaquin Castro

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