Congressmen Tony Gonzales leads delegation in tour of Eagle Pass migrant holding facility

(Update: The news conference is over. We will have more coverage on the trip later this afternoon or this evening.)

Congressmen Tony Gonzales led a delegation on a trip to Eagle Pass on Thursday to speak with law enforcement officials and tour an Eagle Pass detention center.

Gonzales is expected to give a news conference at 11 a.m. in Eagle Pass. The news conference will be livestreamed in this article but delays are possible; if there is not a livestream available, check back at a later time.

Gonzales led members of the Republican Study Committee on the trip. The committee includes Chair Jim Banks, IN-03; Kelly Armstrong, ND-AL; Kevin Hern, OK-01; Ashley Hinson, IA-01; Chris Jacobs, NY-27; Lloyd Smucker, PA-11; and Victoria Spartz, IN-05.

The trip was made amid a sharp increase in the number of unaccompanied youths crossing the U.S.-Mexico border — a situation being criticized by Republicans in Texas and the U.S.

On Wednesday, Gov. Greg Abbot called for the closing of San Antonio’s temporary housing for migrant children, the Freeman Coliseum, due to allegations of sexual abuse, understaffing and COVID-related concerns.

Read also:

• What we know about the abuse allegations of migrant children in San Antonio
• Texas Gov. Greg Abbott calls on Biden administration to close facility housing migrant children in San Antonio after reports of abuse, understaffing