Representative Adriano Espaillat, Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Release Plan to Overhaul ICE
NEW YORK, NY – Today, Representative Adriano Espaillat, Chair of the influential Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) announced a national 10-point plan to restore congressional oversight of immigration enforcement and overhaul ICE to ensure accountability and promote public safety.
During a press conference today in collaboration Hispanic Federation President and CEO Frankie Miranda, Espaillat laid out plans to restore oversight over immigration enforcement, strengthen community-based protections and enact meaningful reform.
"Over the past several weeks, we have witnessed deeply troubling actions. Raids at sensitive locations, the use of tear gas and toxic chemicals, the arrest and deportation of TPS recipients, green card holders, DACA recipients and even U.S. citizens," said CHC Chairman Rep. Adriano Espaillat. "I am proud to stand alongside the Hispanic Federation and our partners to announce the rollout of a legislative oversight campaign that will restore checks and balances to our immigration enforcement. In addition, I have a 10-point plan of community action that I think is very practical and a way to respond to this open warfare that we see happening on a daily basis.
“We are calling on Congress to protect basic rights by ensuring that all those apprehended by ICE have access to legal representation, interpreters, and medical care,” said Frankie Miranda, President and CEO Hispanic Federation. “We must reform agent protocols by restoring pre-arrest approval requirements, mandating body-worn cameras, and requiring clearly visible identification. Accountability cannot exist in the shadows. Congress must enact these reforms to preserve democracy, protect our collective safety, and uphold our nation’s principles.”
Read Chairman Espaillat's 10-point plan HERE.
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Representative Espaillat is the first Dominican American to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives and his congressional district includes Harlem, East Harlem, West Harlem, Hamilton Heights, Washington Heights, Inwood, Marble Hill and the north-west Bronx. First elected to Congress in 2016, Representative Espaillat is serving his fifth term in Congress. Representative Espaillat currently serves as a member of the influential U.S. House Committee on Appropriations responsible for funding the federal government’s vital activities and serves as Ranking Member of the Legislative Branch Subcommittee of the committee during the 119th Congress. He is Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC), and serves as a Senior Whip of the Democratic Caucus. To find out more about Rep. Espaillat, visit online at https://espaillat.house.gov/.
Media inquiries: Candace Person at Candace.Person@mail.house.gov