Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Angie Craig (MN-02)
Silva is the son of a Minnesota woman who was detained at an immigration hearing despite being in the process of attaining legal permanent residency
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Representative Angie Craig announced Angel Silva as her guest for tomorrow’s State of the Union address. Silva, a U.S. citizen and a resident of Rosemount, is the son of Concepcion Macias-Pulido, a Minnesotan who self-deported after being detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in December.
Concepcion, who had a work permit and was on her way to attaining legal permanent residency, was detained at an immigration hearing. She was initially held at the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis and later sent to El Paso, TX. Without any clear path to release, Concepcion ultimately made the difficult decision to self-deport back to Mexico, leaving behind her family in Minnesota, including a 10-year-old child.
“Angel’s mother, Concepcion, was one of the many immigrants here in Minnesota trying to do things the right way yet still targeted by President Trump and Kristi Noem’s rogue ICE,” said Rep. Craig. “The fact that she was detained during an immigration hearing is truly unthinkable – and yet another proof point that the Trump Administration doesn’t care about following the law. They’re going after mothers and fathers – and families like Angel’s are paying the price. I’m honored to have Angel by my side in Washington this week representing his mother and all those who were caught in the crossfire of Operation Metro Surge. His resilience and willingness to share his family’s story is an inspiration and reminder that our immigrant neighbors strengthen the fabric of our state. President Trump and Secretary Noem will never be able to take that away.”
“I’m proud to be in Washington representing immigrant families,” said Angel Silva. “My mother’s strength and sacrifice are the reason I’m here today. Families like mine deserve fairness, compassion, and the chance to stay together.”
Since the beginning of Operation Metro Surge, Rep. Craig has led the effort to fight President Trump and Secretary Kristi Noem’s lawless immigration operations in Minnesota and get ICE out of the state.
She helped lead articles of impeachment against DHS Secretary Kristi Noem in the House and consistently voted againstthe Department of Homeland Security (DHS) appropriations bill providing funding for ICE. As part of this effort, Rep. Craig joined her colleagues in a press conference outside the ICE headquarters in Washington, DC demanding Kristi Noem step down as Secretary of Homeland Security.
She also attended a field hearing at the Minnesota State Capitol to question witnesses impacted by Operation Metro Surge and share the stories of her own constituents. And she has successfully pushed back on several attempts by the Trump Administration to open new ICE detention centers across Minnesota.
Additionally, Rep. Craig has conducted three oversight visits of the ICE detention center at the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis. After being denied entry to the facility twice, Rep. Craig was finally granted a tour last Friday after providing a week’s notice to DHS officials. During the visit, she and her colleague Rep. Ilhan Omar (MN-05) found an empty facility with the last detainee having been moved out of the detention center 30 minutes prior to their arrival.
Prior to her second visit, she helped introduce a bill that would establish standards of care for individuals held in Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and ICE custody by requiring ICE and CBP to conduct timely, in-person medical screenings and ensure basic humanitarian standards for individuals in ICE and CBP custody.
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