Representative Mike Levin Tours San Diego-Area Border Facilities, Questions CBP and ICE Officials on Treatment of Migrant Families
San Diego, CA – Today, U.S. Representative Mike Levin (D-CA) toured the San Diego Rapid Response Network (SDRRN) Migrant Shelter, the Otay Mesa Detention Center, and the Chula Vista Border Patrol Station with Representatives Juan Vargas (D-CA) and Katie Porter (D-CA). Levin questioned Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials about reports on conditions in detention facilities, flaws with the asylum process, and the impact of the Trump Administration’s harmful immigration policies.
“I was grateful for the opportunity to tour local border facilities, sit down with asylum seekers, and meet with immigration officials and agents,” said Representative Levin. “While conditions at these facilities may be better than others along the border, overcrowding has largely been reduced as a result of the Trump Administration’s harmful policy of sending asylum-seekers back to dangerous cities in Mexico, and some migrants appear to not be receiving adequate legal counsel.”
Levin added: “Ultimately, we need members of both parties to come together on comprehensive and humane immigration reform that includes protections for Dreamers, a path to citizenship, and increased funding for smart border security technology. Most of all, we must always treat immigrants with respect and decency. My mother’s parents immigrated from Mexico because they wanted to achieve the American dream and create a better life for their children and grandchildren. Our country was founded on that promise, and we must keep it.”
Representative Levin is a longtime champion for comprehensive immigration reform that includes a path to citizenship for Dreamers and smart border security improvements. He has cosponsored several pieces of legislation to establish basic humanitarian standards of care for individuals in federal custody, require the immediate reunification of children who remain separated from a parent or legal guardian, and ensure that the Department of Homeland Security addresses border issues in a responsible and humane manner. He is a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
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