Rep. Cisneros Statement on ICE Arrest of El Monte Family

Washington, DC – Congressman Gilbert R. Cisneros, Jr. (CA-31) released the following statement after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained an undocumented mother and her son in El Monte. The mother does not have a criminal background and the son had already served a sentence nearly a decade ago. The mother is the primary caretaker for her daughter, who is battling bone cancer.

“These arrests are sickening, and I have grave concerns with how these arrests were reported to have been carried out by ICE,” said Rep. Cisneros. “The 31st District is home to many immigrant families who came to our country wanting to contribute to our communities and local economy. This El Monte family was simply trying to care for the youngest daughter and work to provide her with the healthcare treatments she needs. Stoking fear, targeting our community members, and ripping apart families is not an acceptable solution for our broken immigration system. We need humane comprehensive immigration reform that addresses bad actors, but still upholds our American values and helps bring immigrants who have been living in our country out of the shadows. My office will continue to monitor this situation.”

It’s important that members of the community know their rights if approached by ICE agents or the police, regardless of their immigration status.

Rep. Cisneros is a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and serves on its leadership team as the Freshman Representative.

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