Exclusive: Leaders of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus are in Monterrey, Mexico, today to protest against the Trump administration’s immigration and border policies.
CHC Chair Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.), CHC Whip Sylvia Garcia (D-Texas) and Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) will attend meetings with nonprofit organizations, local officials and the U.S. consulate.
The Democrats specifically want to raise awareness about two Mexican nationals deported from the United States along with their children, who are U.S. citizens.
House Democrats have drawn outsized attention for their international travel aimed at highlighting President Donald Trump’s hardline immigration agenda. Democrats have accused Trump of foregoing due process in his efforts to deport undocumented immigrants living in the U.S.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) went to El Salvador seeking the release and return of Salvadoran immigrant Kilmar Abrego Garcia. Abrego Garcia, who’s married to a U.S. citizen, was improperly deported from Maryland and sent to the infamous CECOT prison.
Four House Democrats also went to El Salvador following Van Hollen’s trip to meet with officials at the U.S. embassy there and to highlight Abrego Garcia’s case.
Espaillat was among the first House Democrats to say he was seeking a trip to El Salvador with the CHC, but those travel plans never materialized.
Meanwhile, the White House and Republicans have relentlessly criticized Democrats over their defense of Abrego Garcia and their trips on his behalf. Top Trump administration officials, including DHS Secretary Kristi Noem on Thursday, have said repeatedly that even if Abrego Garcia returns to the United States, he will immediately be deported again.
Republicans have argued that Democrats are prioritizing undocumented immigrants over Americans, including those impacted by crimes committed by migrants.
