Rep. Angie Craig Statement on Release of Constituent Suffering from Ovarian Cyst from ICE Custody
Andrea Pedro-Francisco has been held in El Paso, where Rep. Craig visited her last month
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Representative Angie Craig released the following statement on the release of her constituent Andrea Pedro-Francisco from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody in El Paso, TX.
“I am beyond happy and relieved to hear that Andrea has been released from ICE custody and will soon be home with her family and friends in Minnesota, where she belongs. Andrea didn’t deserve to be detained in the first place, and she certainly didn’t deserve to be denied the care that she desperately needed for months. Andrea’s perseverance and courage in the face of such inhumanity has inspired me — and so many in our community — to continue our work together to hold ICE accountable for their cruel and lawless enforcement operations in Minnesota. Her release is proof that when Minnesotans come together to resist this administration, we prevail.”
Pedro-Francisco, a resident of Burnsville, MN was picked up by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on her way to work on February 5th. She was scheduled to have surgery for an ovarian cyst on February 11th, but instead, was sent to El Paso, where she has been held without access to proper medical treatment since. Her request for humanitarian parole was denied early last month.
Rep. Craig worked with Pedro-Francisco’s family, friends, lawyers and community advocates for months to facilitate her release and get her the medical care she needed. Last month, as part of those efforts, Rep. Craig traveled to El Paso, TX to visit Pedro-Francisco and conduct oversight of two ICE detention facilities.
During her visit, Rep. Craig toured both the El Paso Service Processing Center and Camp East Montana, the country’s largest migrant detention facility, which has been mired with reports of inhumane conditions, abuse and a measles outbreak earlier this year. Rep. Craig also had the chance to speak with medical staff and meet with Pedro-Francisco to hear from her directly about her experience in detention.
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