Thread by @TXCivilRights

ALERT: You may hear reports that @CBPSouthTexas is releasing hundreds of immigrants & asylum seekers from detention in the Rio Grande Valley, including dozens of children. We are monitoring the situation. Follow along for more information as this situation develops #RGV

What we know: @CBPSouthTexas claims that their processing centers are full because ICE refuses to take any more transfers. Because of this they have no choice but to release hundreds of people to the bus station and humanitarian centers. We have reason to believe this is not true

In last year’s family separation crisis, @CBP and @DHSgov sent parents apprehended in South Texas all over the country because of alleged spacing issues. There is nothing to indicate that things are different now in terms of capacity.

This has all the signs of yet another politically motivated, manufactured “crisis” on the border. This is all coming shortly after Trump declared a #FakeNationalEmergency, and has gone to extraordinary lengths to label the #border as a place of chaos.

This is also coming shortly before a visit to the #RGV by DHS Secretary Nielsen and Senators Cruz and Cornyn.

As there is no emergency at the border, and after the government was sued for declaring an unconstitutional #FakeNationalEmergency, the government is artificially manufacturing the impression of a crisis by holding families for days, and then releasing hundreds of them at a time.

Social service groups are reporting that there has been a spike in the number of people they are serving and an increase in the number of people at the McAllen Bus Station, where families released are sent. Dozens of community members are stepping up to assist them.

We will be visiting these sites to speak with people and conduct legal intakes so that we can learn more about what happened to them while they were in Border Patrol custody.

Through our court-monitoring program, we have seen a significant reduction in the number of people being prosecuted in federal court within the last two weeks under Trump’s #zerotolerance policy. This is the policy that caused the family separation crisis last summer.

Some released families have reported that they were detained for up to 8 days. We ask why they weren’t released earlier, if capacity were truly such an issue.

We will continue to report on what we’re seeing here in South Texas. Any mass release of parents and children into the streets of the #RGV will undoubtedly overwhelm local resources, is a blatant attempt to create the impression of a #FakeNationalEmergency.

Here to speak out against the @SecNielsen visit. If the gov really wanted to learn about this community they’d be listening and talking with us. Instead they’re furthering a #FakeNationalEmergency by holding and dumping migrant families into the RGV.

Last night we met with more families waiting at the bus station in McAllen. One father had been detained for 6 days after spending 2 in a hierlera, or the “icebox”. We continue to hear about the mental toll processing time is taking on families here in STX.

From what we’re hearing on the ground @CBP and @DHSgov are adopting cartel tactics by crowding immigrant families in hierleras and perreras for extended periods of time.

Our gov runs the biggest stash houses on the border 😔