ICE Responds to Release of Families from Texas Detention Cen
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WESLACO – More than 400 women and children were released from federal facilities in Karnes and Dilley, earlier this month. Many of the families ended up at a San Antonio church.
Volunteers at the San Antonio Mennonite Church said they didn’t know why the federal government released the large crowd without prior notice to them.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement revealed it was part of normal operations.
They sent CHANNEL 5 NEWS the follow statement:
“The number of releases from ICE’s South Texas Family Residential Center during the weekend of Dec. 3 was within the average number of our recent releases. However, a higher percentage of family units during that weekend did not have prior travel arrangements, so ICE referred a larger than usual number of people to local non-governmental organizations following their release from ICE custody. These releases from ICE custody are part of normal operations. ICE routinely works with local non-government agencies, and we will continue to do so if a high volume of shelter space may be necessary to accommodate releases from the South Texas Family Residential Center.”
Volunteers at the church said they believed the release was because of a ruling in a Texas District Court.
A judge ruled not to issue out child care licenses to ICE-controlled family detention centers.
ICE made it clear the release wasn’t in response to the ruling.
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