Rep. Rodriguez and fellow MALC members will visit the
Tornillo Port of Entry Shelter on Friday, August 10th.
Eddie Rodriguez
Austin, TX – On Friday, August 10th, State Representative Eddie Rodriguez will visit the ‘tent city’ erected by the Trump administration at the Tornillo, Texas port of entry to observe conditions at what has become ground-zero in the ongoing family separation crisis.
“The Trump administration has missed two court-imposed family reunification deadlines and hundreds of children remain separated from their families in government custody. These children have spent far too long in prison-like conditions,” said Representative Rodriguez, Policy Chair of the Mexican American Legislative Caucus (MALC). “I am visiting the Tornillo Port of Entry Shelter to witness first-hand the treatment that migrant children receive at our hands.”
Rep. Rodriguez will join fellow state representatives and MALC members Mary González, Ina Minjarez, Diego Bernal and Gina Hinojosa for the visit to Tornillo. MALC Vice Chair González led a Family Separation Working Group this summer to assess the family separation crisis from a state perspective. The working group, on which Rep. Rodriguez served, recently released a list of recommendations that state agencies should follow to ensure that the Texas government and its agencies fulfill their legal and humanitarian obligations to impacted migrant families and children.
“As time passes, we cannot forget the hundreds of children who remain separated from their families nor the thousands of unaccompanied minors stuck in warehouses by our federal government. Foil blankets, chain link cages and crying children have become the backdrop of their lives and most have nobody fighting for their best interests. I intend on using this visit to shine a light on the lasting trauma inflicted under the Trump administration’s failed immigration policies and demand reunification of all separated families. We are better than this as a country, and those who share my conviction also share a moral obligation to continue holding the line against the Trump administration and refusing to compromise our humanity.”
Rep. Rodriguez will be available for comment before and after the visit.