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Veronica Escobar: “It did start receiving detainees on August 1st.”

Featuring: Veronica Escobar, Democratic | U.S. House, Texas, District 16

Congresswoman Escobar holds press conference on migrant detention center

Published August 18, 2025 | Video Starts at 00:04

Thousand, a little over 1,000 people on site today. It did start receiving detainees on August 1st. We heard the Texas 23 representative, Tony Gonzalez go on Face the Nation last week. He said there were a hundred thousand detainees on site starting August 1st. He obviously misspoke. (00:04–00:09)

CLAIM

Asserts that the facility began receiving detainees on August 1st.

This is an excerpt from a raw transcript. The assertions have not been audited or verified. Tap the video to view the source footage and understand the context.

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Veronica Escobar

“Almost half of people who are in custody have asked for self deportation.”
Congresswoman Escobar holds press conference on migrant detention center | Uploaded August 18, 2025 | 10:55-11:03
“Fewer than 10% have serious felonies or a serious criminal record.”
Congresswoman Escobar holds press conference on migrant detention center | Uploaded August 18, 2025 | 12:06-12:12
“The Texas economy is actually shrinking in part because of deportations.”
Congresswoman Escobar holds press conference on migrant detention center | Uploaded August 18, 2025 | 15:02-15:07
“Federal taxpayers are paying one and a quarter billion dollars just for this one facility.”
Congresswoman Escobar holds press conference on migrant detention center | Uploaded August 18, 2025 | 15:11-15:18
“Almost 50 billion US taxpayer dollars will go just to private detention facilities.”
Congresswoman Escobar holds press conference on migrant detention center | Uploaded August 18, 2025 | 15:22-15:32
“There is only one federal detention center for families and that's in Dilley, [Texas].”
Congresswoman Escobar holds press conference on migrant detention center | Uploaded August 18, 2025 | 28:28-28:35
“There were four people on site on August 1st.”
Congresswoman Escobar holds press conference on migrant detention center | Uploaded August 18, 2025 | 01:06-01:10
“The ICE and the administration have announced this will continue to grow... to probably about 5,000 people.”
Congresswoman Escobar holds press conference on migrant detention center | Uploaded August 18, 2025 | 01:29-01:42
“A contractor was awarded the bid for this. The vast majority of employees on site are contractual employees.”
Congresswoman Escobar holds press conference on migrant detention center | Uploaded August 18, 2025 | 03:17-03:26
“I am very concerned that there are not enough ICE personnel who have been trained by the federal government.”
Congresswoman Escobar holds press conference on migrant detention center | Uploaded August 18, 2025 | 03:26-03:36
“I have always been very deeply uncomfortable and opposed to private, privately run facilities.”
Congresswoman Escobar holds press conference on migrant detention center | Uploaded August 18, 2025 | 04:12-04:20
“There is a very highly sophisticated medical unit, which obviously we should absolutely advocate for high quality medical care.”
Congresswoman Escobar holds press conference on migrant detention center | Uploaded August 18, 2025 | 05:00-05:17
“El Paso already does not have enough doctors, enough nurses, enough health care providers for our population.”
Congresswoman Escobar holds press conference on migrant detention center | Uploaded August 18, 2025 | 06:18-06:28
“I am really concerned about the poaching of medical professionals from El Paso.”
Congresswoman Escobar holds press conference on migrant detention center | Uploaded August 18, 2025 | 06:56-07:03
“The facility is not yet on the grid. It's being operated fully with generators.”
Congresswoman Escobar holds press conference on migrant detention center | Uploaded August 18, 2025 | 07:39-07:47
“This is a really large facility. And as we have seen El Paso Electric, you know, try to keep up with the demand, especially as our summers…”
Congresswoman Escobar holds press conference on migrant detention center | Uploaded August 18, 2025 | 07:49-08:05
“We have limited resources in our community, and this is definitely a strain on local resources, whether they be medical resources or utility…”
Congresswoman Escobar holds press conference on migrant detention center | Uploaded August 18, 2025 | 08:13-08:25
“There are folks inside the facility who have recently been apprehended, maybe even here at the border, or apprehended as far away as Miami…”
Congresswoman Escobar holds press conference on migrant detention center | Uploaded August 18, 2025 | 08:50-09:11
“Some of them have been here for 20 years working in agriculture, you know, essentially part of the United States workforce in meatpacking…”
Congresswoman Escobar holds press conference on migrant detention center | Uploaded August 18, 2025 | 09:17-09:32
“Donald Trump's mass deportation plan is not targeting the worst of the worst.”
Congresswoman Escobar holds press conference on migrant detention center | Uploaded August 18, 2025 | 09:33-09:38
“You can't self deport or participate in self deportation if you have a criminal record. You also can't participate in self deportation if…”
Congresswoman Escobar holds press conference on migrant detention center | Uploaded August 18, 2025 | 11:03-11:15
“Members of Congress like me have been trying to do is create common sense immigration reform.”
Congresswoman Escobar holds press conference on migrant detention center | Uploaded August 18, 2025 | 12:58-13:07
“Mass deportation will undoubtedly have an impact on the national economy, on the state economy.”
Congresswoman Escobar holds press conference on migrant detention center | Uploaded August 18, 2025 | 14:08-14:20
“We could come together as Republicans and Democrats did with the Dignity act and bring forward solutions.”
Congresswoman Escobar holds press conference on migrant detention center | Uploaded August 18, 2025 | 15:42-15:51
“We are seeing deportation flights from the El Paso International Airport.”
Congresswoman Escobar holds press conference on migrant detention center | Uploaded August 18, 2025 | 21:23-21:30
“This is a hub for Central America and Mexico.”
Congresswoman Escobar holds press conference on migrant detention center | Uploaded August 18, 2025 | 21:45-21:50
“The ehf, which is in far northeast El Paso, which by the way is still operational.”
Congresswoman Escobar holds press conference on migrant detention center | Uploaded August 18, 2025 | 23:10-23:16
“These are very, very expensive facilities to run.”
Congresswoman Escobar holds press conference on migrant detention center | Uploaded August 18, 2025 | 23:18-23:22
“They get three meals a day.”
Congresswoman Escobar holds press conference on migrant detention center | Uploaded August 18, 2025 | 23:55-23:58
“A very sophisticated tracking system linked to a bracelet that is scanned.”
Congresswoman Escobar holds press conference on migrant detention center | Uploaded August 18, 2025 | 23:57-24:04
“It's supposed to withstand hurricane gust winds.”
Congresswoman Escobar holds press conference on migrant detention center | Uploaded August 18, 2025 | 24:17-24:22
“For sure, I would definitely say it's humane.”
Congresswoman Escobar holds press conference on migrant detention center | Uploaded August 18, 2025 | 25:39-25:43
“Care that they receive is exceptional.”
Congresswoman Escobar holds press conference on migrant detention center | Uploaded August 18, 2025 | 25:46-25:50
“They have not yet constructed the site for access to legal counsel, but it should be up later this week.”
Congresswoman Escobar holds press conference on migrant detention center | Uploaded August 18, 2025 | 25:46-26:00
“The detainees, through a pad like an iPad, have access to LexisNexis.”
Congresswoman Escobar holds press conference on migrant detention center | Uploaded August 18, 2025 | 26:00-26:19
“They're supposed to have visitation, but it's not set up yet.”
Congresswoman Escobar holds press conference on migrant detention center | Uploaded August 18, 2025 | 27:24-27:27
“Women detainees are generally a smaller population we've seen over the years.”
Congresswoman Escobar holds press conference on migrant detention center | Uploaded August 18, 2025 | 28:13-28:18
“None of those individuals [families, pregnant women, women with US citizen children] are on site today, but they will be at some point in…”
Congresswoman Escobar holds press conference on migrant detention center | Uploaded August 18, 2025 | 28:44-28:50