
U.S. Rep. Maxine Dexter, second from right, poses with the Crespo-Gonzalez family and her chief of staff Kari Williamson, far right, at the Portland International Airport on Feb. 7, 2026. The family was recently released from an immigration detention facility in Texas.
Courtesy of the Office of U.S. Rep. Maxine Dexter
Rep. Maxine Dexter escorted a family — including a 7-year-old girl — from an immigration detention facility in Texas back to Oregon on Saturday. The Crespo-Gonzalez family was detained last month while bringing their sick child to urgent care.
We sit down with Dexter, D-Oregon, to hear about that experience and her work in Congress focused on Immigration and Customs Enforcement funding and policy.
OPB reporter Holly Bartholomew covers Portland’s suburban communities as a Report for America Corps member. We also talk with her about how the family is doing now and the latest developments around federal immigration actions in Oregon.
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