Torres Responds to ORR Facility in Pomona
POMONA – Congresswoman Norma J. Torres (CA-35) released a statement today responding to news that the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) will begin using the Fairplex in Pomona as an Emergency Intake Site to temporarily house unaccompanied minors arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Rep. Torres, who was notified last week that ORR was in negotiations with the County of Los Angeles to open the facility, released the following statement today when news of the deal became public:
"As someone who has toured ORR facilities numerous times in California, Texas, and even Florida, I know that our community can and will provide a safe and secure environment for these vulnerable children," Rep. Norma J. Torres said. "I expect this new facility to meet our moral values as a nation, and I will continue to provide oversight to ensure that happens.
"I am pleased to see the Biden Administration turn the page from the previous administration's practice of simply opening facilities without offering local communities an opportunity to say how, when, and where to do so," Torres continued. "The facility opening in Pomona is the result of a negotiation with the county, and I look forward to seeing local input continue to guide this process."
In the last three weeks, Congresswoman Torres has toured three ORR facilities along the southern border: Carrizo Springs, Texas on March 24th; San Diego Convention Center on March 28th, and both Fort Bliss and the CHS Trail House Shelter near El Paso, Texas on April 5th.
Congresswoman Torres is also the only Central American serving in Congress, and the Co-Chair of the Central America Caucus. Torres sits on the House Appropriations Committee, and has leveraged her position to bring accountability to the Northern Triangle by withholding aid from corrupt central governments, and shining a light on corrupt leaders in the region that contribute to migration. Learn more about her efforts here.
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