Joaquin Castro
DThe Stop the Settlements Act would sanction anyone looking to take Palestinian land in the West Bank or Gaza. And support keeps growing. Since I introduced the bill alongside Reps. Dean, Beyer, Casar, Jacobs, and Escobar, over 50 members have now co-sponsored. Settlement expansion pushes Palestinians off their land and makes peace harder to achieve. It’s time to use tools like sanctions to stop it. Thank you to our newest co-sponsors: Rep. Everton Blair (GA-13) Rep. Bill Foster (IL-11) Rep. Valerie Foushee (NC-04) Rep. Jonathan Jackson (IL-01) Rep. Hank Johnson (GA-04) Rep. LaMonica McIver (NJ-10) Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL) Rep. James Walkinshaw (VA-11) Rep. Maxine Waters (CA-43) Rep. Nikema Williams (GA-05)
Great to join friends in Houston last night at a fundraiser in support of the @MeyerDems. The Meyerland area has some of the highest turnout precincts in Texas—which will be critical to flipping this state in 3 weeks! https://t.co/Em3rzTOcIx
Dan Patrick used his office to criminalize nearly all cannabis use in Texas, threatening thousands of businesses. TONIGHT his opponent @VikkiGoodwinTX is hosting a Legalize It! Rally in San Antonio to build support for regulation over prohibition. RSVP: https://t.co/iB7H1nBlb2 https://t.co/kl1Ke5wX1m
I’m glad to see the City of San Antonio taking ICE to court. ICE wants to hold up to 1,500 people a day in an East Side warehouse next to a floodplain, and it still hasn’t told the city how it will handle water, sewage, or emergencies. We’ve seen what happens inside these facilities. Overcrowding, spoiled food, people denied medical care. It has no place in our community.
Happy Indigenous Peoples' Day! Today, we honor the history, culture, and contributions of the Native Nations and communities who have shaped our region for generations. https://t.co/Wrs2NSBFrd
San Antonio students! The 2026 Congressional App Challenge has launched! Have an idea for an app? Now’s your chance to build it. The challenge is open to middle and high school students across our district, and this year’s winner will earn a trip to Washington for a special reception celebrating student innovators. Our district is full of brilliant young minds, and I want to see what you come up with. Register at https://t.co/1ixQd3OVI6.
Just two months after giving birth to her son, Adela Nohemy Castellanos is locked away at the Dilley Trailer Prison with her 10-year-old daughter, Sofia. They are separated from dad and three other siblings. Adela can't tolerate the food, is very stressed, and can’t sleep. Dilley is no place for a woman recovering from childbirth. Her attorneys have appealed her deportation. Locking up a mother and her child doesn’t make our country safer. It only makes a family suffer. Hopefully their appeal will be granted.
Innocent children at the Dilley Trailer Prison are suffering. Trump is responsible for their trauma. While he's in San Antonio today, I challenged him to join me in Dilley, look these children in their eyes, and tell them they deserve this. https://t.co/RdKObkx55d
Today we remember the victims of Hamas’ brutal attack on October 7th. We join the families in mourning loved ones who never returned home, and the hostage victims that will be forever scarred. Three years on, working toward peace is more urgent than ever. Israelis and Palestinians alike deserve dignity, freedom, and self-determination. I am committed to working with any partner who shares in the vision of the two peoples co-existing.
Donald Trump estará en San Antonio mañana. Lo invito a visitar la Prisión de Remolques de Dilley y a ver con sus propios ojos el trauma que les está infligiendo a niños y bebés, algunos de tan solo dos meses de edad. https://t.co/q7xQaPRAog
Americans are getting swept up in Trump’s immigration dragnet. Over 500 U.S. citizens that we know of. Even more that we don’t. ICE’s lawlessness spares no one.
Just got another hardworking young man with no criminal record (who came in 'the right way) out of Karnes Detention Center. President Trump, you'll be in San Antonio on Wednesday. Come see the Dilley Trailer Prison that traumatizes young children. https://t.co/iGyzF3oF4Z
Donald Trump will be in San Antonio tomorrow. I invite him to visit the Dilley Trailer Prison, and see for himself the trauma he is inflicting on children and babies, some as young as two months old. https://t.co/OPyr8X3Cgo
SAN ANTONIO, TX —Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) renewed his invitation to President Donald Trump to visit the Dilley Trailer Prison during his visit tomorrow in San Antonio, Texas. “Donald Trump will be in San Antonio tomorrow. I invite him to visit the Dilley Trailer Prison and see for himself the trauma he is inflicting on children and babies, some as young as two months old.” Castro first challenged the President to see firsthand the conditions facing children at the only family detention center in the country at a march protesting ICE’s proposed detention center in San Antonio. Transcript below: “President Trump, you're coming to San Antonio. I would invite you to go to Dilley to see what Stephen Miller, who sits with you at the White House, has done to these children. To see the lifelong lasting trauma he's caused to these kids, to see what he's doing in the name of Americans. And I would say, because I would bet that the President has never been into a detention center, that he's certainly not been into a detention center, this trailer prison, where kids are held. Let me say this: the President of the United States is the leader of the country, the leader of the free world. If you can't stand there and go inside and look into the eyes of these kids and tell them that despite the fact they've done nothing wrong, that they belong there just because of where they were born, just because of the color of their skin, just because of the language that they speak, then you don't deserve to be President of the United States.” “Presidente Trump, vas a venir a San Antonio. Yo te invito a ir a Dilley para ver lo que Stephen Miller, que se sienta contigo en la Casa Blanca, les ha hecho a estos niños. Para ver el trauma duradero que les ha causado a estosniños, para ver lo que está haciendo en nombre de Estados Unidos. Y yo diría esto, porque apostaría a que el presidente nunca ha estado dentro de un centro de detención. Que ciertamente nunca ha estado dentro de un centro de detención, esta prisión de tráileres, donde tienen detenidos a niños. Déjenme decir esto: el Presidente de los Estados Unidos es el líder del país, el líder del mundo libre. Si no puedes estar ahí, entrar y mirar a estos niños a losojos y decirles que, a pesar de que no han hecho nada malo, pertenecen allí simplemente por el lugar donde nacieron, simplemente por el color de su piel, simplemente por el idioma que hablan, entonces no mereces ser Presidente de los Estados Unidos.” ###
WASHINGTON D.C. — Reps. Joaquin Castro (TX-20) and Gil Cisneros (CA-31) introduced a resolution to honor and celebrate the cultural impacts of Hispanics and Latinos in film, television, and streaming. Hispanics and Latinos represent 21% of the total population of the United States but Hispanics and Latinos in film, television, and streaming account for less than 7% of on-screen roles and less than 5% of off-screen roles. However, television series and films featuring Hispanic and Latino talent consistently rank among the most watched and financially successful productions. El Cine, the Hispanic Heritage Foundation, the Latino Film Institute, the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), the National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP), the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts (NHFA), and the National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC) signed on as supporting organizations. “Latino artists have helped shape American film and television for generations, and Latinos are one of the largest and fastest-growing audiences in this country," said Congressman Castro. "Yet we are still underrepresented on screen and in the writing rooms and leadership roles where decisions are made. Latino film festivals across the country are doing important work to support Latino storytellers, and the industry should invest in that talent. I'm proud to join Congressman Cisneros in recognizing these contributions and calling for more Latino representation on and behind the big screen.” “Latinos and Hispanics represent some of the biggest stars and the most important stories of the century. The time when actors like Rita Hayworth, Anthony Quinn or Martin Sheen had to change their names has given way to mainstream stars like Selma Hayek, Eva Longoria, Diego Luna, and Selena Gomez,” said Congressman Cisneros. “Hispanic and Latino storytellers have enriched our media with diverse stories, artistic excellence, and economic growth and they deserve recognition for their talent. I’m proud to introduce this resolution to celebrate and honor the success of Hispanics and Latinos in film, television, and streaming and recognize their past, present, and future contributions to the United States.” “One of the biggest dangers our culture faces is erasure,” said Mariana Da Silva, Founder of El Cine. “We are taught to hide parts of ourselves, our language, our histories, and the stories that make us who we are. At El Cine, we create space for those stories to be seen, heard, and passed on. Latin culture is American culture. We’re proud to support this resolution because recognizing our contributions also means making room for the next generation to tell their stories without having to hide who they are.” “Fifty-nine percent of Latino adults went to a movie theater last year, more than any other group,” said Juan Proaño, Chief Executive Officer of LULAC. “Latinos are the profit margin of this industry. Yet we hold just 5 percent of the roles on screen, 2.8 percent of the lead roles, and one half of one percent of the writing credits, and 44 percent of top films have no Latino speaking character at all. LULAC is proud to support Congressman Cisneros's resolution, which honors the artists who opened doors and calls on the industry to reflect the audiences who sustain it. When we tell our own stories, the whole country sees itself more clearly.” “Thirty years ago, Jimmy Smits, Sonia Braga, Esai Morales, Merel Julia and I founded the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts (NHFA), when Latinos were one in ten Americans and almost nowhere on screen," said Felix R. Sánchez, Chair and Co-founder of NHFA. "Today we are one in five, and we hold fewer than three of every hundred lead roles in Hollywood's top films. The country changed, the screen has not.” “Latino Americans are intertwined in the fabric of the United States – including in film, television, and streaming,” said Brenda Victoria Castillo, President and CEO of National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC). “With the highest per capita consumption in entertainment, representing 24% of film ticket sales, 29% of daily mobile television viewers, and 24% of streaming subscribers, it's no wonder that our stories resonate, inspire, and are central to modern American culture. NHMC thanks Congressmen Cisneros and Castro for recognizing our community and continuing to be allies to increase Latino representation in media.” “From a fifth grader's first film to a fellow's first credit to a festival premiere, Latino Film Institute is building the workforce of American film, television, and streaming,” said Axel Caballero, Chief Executive Officer of the Latino Film Institute. “And we are preparing it for what comes next: new kinds of stories, told on platforms that are still taking shape. Through YCP, our fellowships, and LALIFF, that talent is being readied and celebrated. We thank Congressman Cisneros, Congressman Castro, and all the cosponsors, and LFI is proud to support this resolution.” Read the full text of the resolution here. ###
Costs. Corruption. Cruelty. These are some of the most pressing issues for Texans right now — all of which have all been made worse by Greg Abbott and Ken Paxton. With just 29 days left, now is the time to support Dem candidates up-and-down the ballot! https://t.co/yuh5KAPkZI
Texans know Big Bend is one of our greatest natural treasures. And it belongs to all of us. It's great news that a federal judge halted construction of Trump's reckless border wall that would run through it. In Congress, I'll keep fighting to permanently stop the project, which would damage Big Bend's natural beauty and the local economy alike.
San Antonio—Today is the last day to register to vote in Texas. Check your registration or register to vote here: https://t.co/R2eN7xzKam Make sure you have a plan to vote this election, and encourage family and friends to vote this November! https://t.co/VimPIZdowH
Gina is going unseat Greg Abbott and make history in November. Go support her campaign in the final stretch!
Officials, residents criticize toll of ICE arrests; mayor threatens legal action https://t.co/Kuj8t8kaEg via @expressnews
Trump is coming to San Antonio Wednesday. I invited him to the Dilley Trailer Prison. He should face the children he’s traumatizing. Can the president look these innocent children in the eyes and tell them they deserve to be there? https://t.co/vtN9Kxty0x
Abbott’s just going to give those billions to his cronies.
Field Hearing : Examining the Community Impacts of Mass Deportation and Proposed ICE Warehouse https://t.co/uvcSPWoZg4
Reps. Joaquin Castro, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Democratic Members of the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, issued the following statement after the State Department provided the Committee with one document related to the Trump Administration’s deal signed with Alejandro Betancourt to acquire a stake in North American Blue Energy Partners: “We appreciate that State has provided this document, but a single document falls far short of the records Democrats have requested as we conduct oversight over the Trump administration’s Venezuela policy. When Democrats sought to subpoena the documents on September 15, Republicans, led by Chairwoman Maria Elvira Salazar, voted to shield the administration from accountability and protect Alejandro Betancourt and Delcy Rodriguez from scrutiny. “Democrats will continue to examine the Trump administration’s actions with respect to Venezuela, and we call on Secretary Rubio to produce to the Committee all remaining requested documents, including the agreement between Delcy Rodriguez and Betancourt, as well as KPMG’s independent audits of the Foreign Government Deposit Funds, the account Trump established after his administration began seizing Venezuelan oil revenues. “Congress cannot conduct meaningful oversight based on selective disclosures. Providing one document while withholding other central records raises further questions about what the administration is trying to conceal.” Congressman Castro added, “Last month, I motioned to subpoena the Trump Administration for records regarding its deal with Venezuelan businessman Alejandro Betancourt for Venezuelan oil. This week, we were able to secure a limited set of documents from the administration regarding this shady deal. It's a start but no where near what the Administration must provide Congress. There's billions of dollars moving hands and next to zero accountability. Americans are sick of corruption, and Venezuelans are too. We will continue these investigations until we have accountability.” Additional background: On February 13, 2026, HFAC Democrats requested information regarding the Trump administration’s decision to route Venezuela oil revenues into an offshore account in Qatar. On April 17, 2026, Congressional Democrats requested the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a full audit of this deal. The GAO accepted the request and the audit remains ongoing. Read the full details of the audit and the full letter here. On September 10, 2026, HFAC Democrats requested KPMG audits of the deal to be transmitted to Congress within 30 days of completion. The members also requested a complete accounting of all disbursements made from the fund since its establishment. The Members request a response by October 8, 2026. Read the full letter here.
Last month, I motioned to subpoena the Trump Administration for records regarding its deal with Venezuelan businessman Alejandro Betancourt for Venezuelan oil. This week, we were able to secure a limited set of documents from the administration regarding this shady deal. It's a start but no where near what the Administration must provide Congress. There's billions of dollars moving hands and next to zero accountability. Americans are sick of corruption, and Venezuelans are too. We will continue these investigations until we have accountability. https://t.co/GOfLv7BX3Q