CLARKE, VELÁZQUEZ TO ICE: RELEASE COUPLE DETAINED WHILE VISITING FAMILY IN U.S. MILITARY

WASHINGTON, DC – Rep. Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY) and Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY)  have written a letter urging ICE officials to release a couple detained on the fourth of July holiday while visiting their son-in-law, a sergeant in the U.S. Army at Fort Drum army base. The couple, Margarito Silva and Concepción Barrios, both longtime Brooklyn residents, intended to celebrate the holiday with their daughter and son-in-law and presented municipal IDs to the guards. Instead, they were detained by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and are being held in custody in Buffalo, New York.

“Continued arrest is likely to impose significant medical hardship on the couple—your agents have had to store medication and receive specially prepared meals from the family,” wrote the lawmakers. “It is our view that the family has not received enough assurances that such practices will continue, or that appropriate accommodations will be provided consistently if the family exercises their available legal options while under ICE detention.”

The full text of the letter can be found below. A PDF is available here.

July 12, 2018

Thomas E. Feeley

Field Office Director

Enforcement and Removal Operations

Buffalo Field Office

130 Delaware Avenue

Buffalo, NY, 14202

RE:     BARRIOS, Concepcion

SILVA, Margarito

Dear Director Feeley:

As Members of Congress, we write to express our support for both Ms. Concepcion Barrios’s and Mr. Margarito Silva’s request to be removed from custody as the family works to exhaust all their legal options. Both are currently under detention after attempting to visit their son-in-law at the Fort Drum army base in Jefferson County, NY during the Independence Day holiday.[1] Continued arrest is likely to impose significant medical hardship on the couple—your agents have had to store medication and receive specially prepared meals from the family.[2] It is our view that the family has not received enough assurances that such practices will continue, or that appropriate accommodations will be provided consistently if the family exercises their available legal options while under ICE detention.

The arrest of the family raises significant concerns, particularly given the health considerations of the individual detainees and the family relationship to the soldier whom they were there to visit. Neither Ms. Barrios nor Mr. Silva have a criminal record and pose no immediate threat to our community or to national security. Given the circumstances and the non-existent risk these immigrants pose to our community, we appreciate your review of this request, and to exercise full and fair consideration of this request, consistent with applicable law, rules and regulations.

Sincerely,

Nydia M. Velázquez                                                                           Yvette D. Clarke

Member of Congress                                                                          Member of Congress

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[1] Schmidt, S. July 10, 2018. A couple visited their soldier son-in-law on July 4. The Army turned them over to ICE. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2018/07/10/a-couple-visited-their-soldier-son-in-law-on-july-4-the-army-turned-them-over-to-ice/?utm_term=.4f326909c345

[2] Id.