SAN ANTONIO – A 9-year-old girl and her father have been released from an immigration detention facility after being held for over a month following a Texas traffic stop, according to U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro.
Castro, D-Texas, announced the release of Katherine Bracho and her father, Jesús Bracho, who were taken into custody after Texas Department of Public Safety troopers pulled over the father as he arrived at work.
According to Castro, troopers stopped Jesús Bracho and subsequently contacted U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Before being taken into custody, Bracho instructed his daughter to go inside his employer’s home. Castro said ICE agents later forced Bracho to lure the 9-year-old outside so officers could detain her as well.
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The father and daughter were subsequently held for more than a month at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas, an immigration detention facility for families.
Castro described Jesús Bracho as a hardworking mechanic with no criminal record and noted that Katherine is a student at Bonnie Ellison Elementary School in San Antonio.
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“She gave me a note last week and told me how much she missed her family, friends, and teachers,” Castro said in a statement, adding that he is glad she will be able to return to school and reunite with her family.
Castro, a vocal critic of federal and state immigration enforcement strategies under former President Donald Trump and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, credited public advocacy for helping secure the pair’s release.