Democratic Texas lawmakers call on six cities to terminate their agreements with ICE

Rep. Joaquín Castro (D-Texas) and Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas) called on six cities in Bexar County on Wednesday to end their Section 287(g) agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Castro and Casar held a press conference—covered by Breitbart—in San Antonio, where Castro claimed that these agreements have led to alleged racial profiling in Bexar County and other parts of the country, and criticized the fact that they turn local police officers into federal immigration agents.

The six cities in Bexar County that have signed 287(g) agreements are Hollywood Park, China Grove, St. Hedwig, Balcones Heights, Sandy Oaks and Von Ormy. All participate under the Task Force model, one of the three types of agreements included in the program.

The Task Force model allows local police officers, after receiving training, to inquire during their routine patrols about the citizenship status of individuals they come into contact with. The authority granted under the 287(g) program also allows officers to access ICE databases and detain individuals they believe are in the United States illegally.

During the press conference, Castro stated that one of the reasons municipalities sign these agreements is financial:

“I believe a big part of the reason they are doing it is they are trying to balance their budgets with this money, because they receive money for every officer that is trained to carry out this partnership with ICE,”

Castro also leveled harsh criticism at ICE and the Trump administration. The lawmaker has questioned the reopening of the South Texas Family Residential Center, which is used to house families awaiting deportation from the United States. According to Breitbart, the congressman has visited the facility at least seven times since its reopening and has called for its closure, citing medical negligence and poor food conditions.