Members of Congress say release of detained mothers and children not enough

Congressional critics of the Obama administration’s policy of indefinitely detaining immigrant mothers and children while their asylum requests are pending said the decision to release some of them isn’t enough.

They say the “jail-like facilities” must be closed permanently.

Reps. Zoe Lofgren and Lucille Roybal-Allard, both D-Calif., and Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., commended the Homeland Security Department on Tuesday for releasing hundreds of detained mothers on bond or with electronic ankle monitors, calling it an important step toward ending the practice of detaining mothers and children.

But they said they won’t stop pressing the administration until immigration officers stop detentions entirely.

“We remain strongly convinced that no family — regardless of status — should be housed in jail-like facilities for any length of time,” they said in a joint statement.

Federal officials have begun releasing hundreds of mothers and children from the nation’s family detention centers as part of a promise to end long-term detention of migrant families.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials say the move is part of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson’s plan to end long-term detention of migrant mothers and children who have demonstrated they have reason to fear persecution if returned to their countries.

Nearly 200 detained parents and children were released over the weekend, according to ICE officials. Lawyers and advocates report that at least 100 more were dropped off at bus stations in South Texas last week.