Congressional Leaders Demand Release of U.S. Marine Veteran Trevor Reed
On March 17th, Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11), Senator John Cornyn (R-TX), Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (CA-23), and House Foreign Affairs Committee Republican Leader Michael McCaul (TX-10), held a press conference demanding the immediate release of U.S. Marine Corps Veteran Trevor Reed, who is currently being detained as a political prisoner in Russia. The lawmakers were joined by Trevor’s mother and father, Paula and Joey Reed.
“Our resolution and our message are simple,” said Congressman August Pfluger, “The United States will not tolerate an American citizen being held by the Putin Regime as a political pawn. Free Trevor Reed.”
“It's hard for any of us to fathom what it must be like to have a loved one falsely accused of these charges sitting in a foreign prison,” said Senator Cornyn. “We demand that the Russian Federation release Trevor Reed and all other political prisoners they hold. It's time to bring Trevor home.”
Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy said, “It's unjust the way Trevor has been treated by the Russian judicial system. It's been nothing short of what I would call cruel. That's why we're united in this in a bipartisan, bicameral fashion to send a very clear message. Free Trevor Reed. I am thankful to Representative Pfluger, Senator Cornyn, and House Foreign Affairs Committee Republican Lead McCaul for their leadership on this extremely important matter.
“Trevor is an American hero who proudly served his country, and the Putin regime has been holding him as a political pawn and hostage for a crime he absolutely did not commit for far too long. I was proud to join my fellow Texans, Senator Cornyn and Representative Pfluger, Leader McCarthy, and Trevor’s parents to send a strong message to Putin: America will not tolerate his corrupt regime holding U.S. citizens hostage under false pretenses. We will continue our fight every day until we bring Trevor home to his family,” said Congressman McCaul.
“It’s a sham from beginning to end. Our son is innocent, and he’s being held because he is a former United States Marine,” said Joey Reed.
“It has been a long, hard time to be without him,” said Paula Reed. “It’s not something I’d wish on anyone else.”
The Congressional Leaders have introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation condemning the practice of politicallymotivated imprisonment in the Russian Federation, and calling upon the Government of the Russian Federation to immediately release Trevor Reed.
On March 17th, Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11) sent a letter to HHS Acting Secretary Norris Cochran and DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas expressing his frustration over the decision of the Department of Health and Human Services to establish an Emergency Intake Site for Unaccompanied Alien Children (UC) apprehended at the southern border at the Cotton Logistics site in Midland, Texas.
“HHS failed to notify, consult, or coordinate with my office or any of our state and local officials. I am deeply troubled that our sheriff, mayor, police, and fire departments were completely blindsided,” Congressman Pfluger said in the letter. “We had no time to prepare and no opportunity to provide input and advice. Urgent questions including how long they will be there, if more are
Congressman Pfluger Demands Answers for Illegal Immigrant Facility in Midland on the way and implications on the spread of coronavirus were not available.”
In the letter, Congressman Pfluger asked for an expedient response to 10 questions:
1. When was the decision made to utilize Cotton Logistics and why were state and local stakeholders not notified or coordinated with in the decisionmaking process?
2. What was the data and analysis used to determine Cotton Logistics and Midland as a suitable site and who made the final determination?
3. Why were 700 UCs selected to be transferred to the site in Midland?
4. What are the age breakdowns of the migrant children and known criminal or behavioral background of the children? How is this information verified either by the Department of Homeland Security or HHS?
5. Are more UCs slated to be transferred now or in the future to the site in Midland?
6. How long will Cotton Logistics be utilized by HHS to house the migrant children?
7. What are the COVID-19 safety protocols in place to ensure safety of the migrant children, facility staff and security, and the surrounding community?
8. Are the migrant children tested prior to arrival and periodically while at the facility?
9. Are the agreements in place with local hospitals or clinics should the need arise to respond to medical emergencies at the facility COVID-19 related or not?
10. What is the process and timeline for placing the migrant children with known relatives or foster homes? What if no suitable home is found?
Pfluger: Our Border is Broken
On March 18th, Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11) released a statement after voting no on H.R. 6, the Dream and Promise Act of 2021, and H.R. 1603, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act of 2021, two partisan bills that further incentivize illegal immigration and exacerbate the crisis on the southern border.
“Speaker Pelosi’s decision to bring two amnesty bills to the floor this week when our border is an absolute disasterzone is one of the most tone deaf things I’ve seen during my time in Congress,” said Congressman Plfuger. “These bills will provide amnesty to millions of illegal aliens without addressing the incentives that caused them to illegally enter or be brought into the U.S. by their parents in the first place. This is a humanitarian crisis and a matter of national security. We have to secure our border before we can address the issues with our broken immigration system.”
Earlier today, Congressman Pfluger spoke on the House Floor in opposition to H.R. 6. Read a transcript of the remarks below:
“Thank you, Madam Speaker.
“I rise today in opposition to H.R. 6. Bringing an amnesty bill to the floor this week in the middle of a complete and total crisis on our southern border is not only tone deaf, but it is wrong. I traveled to the border on Monday and surveyed the facilities on the border and the environment. It's a mess. Thousands of people are coming across our borders illegally.
“If we really cared about children, we would be looking at the policies that are incentivizing the drug cartels, the traffickers, the coyotes that are bringing them across, exploiting them in every way. It's heartbreaking. Some wish our nation harm, including individuals that have been found out to be on the terror watch list who have been apprehended crossing the border, this bill will only incentivize more illegal crossings.
“What a week to put this bill to vote. We cannot begin to address the issues we are facing when our border is broken. I implore my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to work with this in a bipartisan manner to secure the border, and then move on.
“With that, I yield back the balance my time.”