Congressman Vicente Gonzalez released a statement responding to the arrest of a woman at the Hidalgo County Court House by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The stamen reads:
I was disturbed to learn that ICE arrested Ericka Gonzalez Zuniga at the Hidalgo County Courthouse yesterday. While lawful, this lacked forethought, incites fear in our community, and may have a detrimental impact on our local justice system. I will be engaging with local leaders and ICE to learn more about this situation and develop appropriate protocols that prevent this from happening again.
Ericka Gonzalez Zuniga, 42, was arrested by ICE after the sentencing of Orlando Zuniga Rodriguez for the death of a Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office dispatcher.
According to a release from ICE, Zuniga has multiple convictions for theft between 2003 and 2010 and was issued a final order of removal by a federal immigration judge on January 4, 2005, and has multiple illegal entries into the United States. The statement adds Zuniga is a citizen of Mexico who is illegally present in the United States.
Nina Pruneda, Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement Spokeswoman also stated:
Under ICE policy, courthouses are not considered sensitive locations. In such instances where officers seek to conduct an arrest at a courthouse, every effort is made to take the person into custody in a secure area, out of public view, for the safety of those involved.
