SAN ANTONIO — Several members of Congress will visit two South Texas detention facilities that house immigrant mothers and children mostly from Central America.
Eight House Democrats next week will tour the two facilities in Karnes City and Dilley, which U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement opened after tens of thousands of unaccompanied children and families crossed the Texas-Mexico border last summer.
The eight are among 136 House Democrats asking the government to stop holding immigrant women and children in detention.
ICE, however, says the facilities are an effective and humane way to keep families together until they appear before immigration judges seeking asylum.
Among the House Democrats visiting the facility are Rep. Joaquin Castro of San Antonio and Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee of Houston, as well as California, Arizona, Illinois and Maryland members.
