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Immigration Enforcement Takes Toll on Hundreds of Children in Texas Detention Facility
Hundreds of children and their parents are being held at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in Texas, some for months, as part of the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement policy. The facility, located about 75 miles south of San Antonio, has become a focal point of concern as detention of immigrant children continues to rise.
According to an Associated Press analysis of data from the University of California, Berkeley’s Deportation Data Project, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained more than 3,800 children during the first nine months of the Trump administration. On an average day, more than 220 children were in detention, with most held longer than 24 hours sent to the Dilley facility.
The case of a 5-year-old boy recently taken into custody by immigration officers in Minneapolis and transferred with his father to Texas has drawn public attention, but it represents just one of many such cases. Children now constitute more than half of all detainees at Dilley during the early part of the Trump administration, according to the AP analysis.
Since the facility was reopened last spring, the population has increased sharply, reaching more than 1,300 detainees in late January. Nearly two-thirds of children detained by ICE in the early months of the administration were eventually deported.
Particularly concerning to child welfare advocates is the government’s practice of holding many children well beyond the 20-day limit established by a longstanding court order. “We’ve started to use 100 days as a benchmark because so many children are exceeding 20 days,” said Leecia Welch, chief legal director at Children’s Rights, who regularly visits Dilley to monitor compliance. During a visit this month, Welch counted more than 30 children who had been held for over 100 days.
The demographic of those detained has also shifted. While the Obama administration primarily detained families who had recently crossed the border when it opened Dilley in 2014, many families currently held there have lived in the United States for several years. This means children are being uprooted from schools, neighborhoods, and support networks they’ve established in America.
Parents have reported troubling conditions inside the facility. One mother told the AP that her 13-year-old daughter cut herself with a plastic knife after staff withheld prescribed antidepressants and denied her request to join her mother in another part of the facility. Another described how her one-year-old daughter developed a high fever and vomiting, claiming medical staff repeatedly offered only over-the-counter pain relievers before the child was eventually hospitalized with bronchitis, pneumonia, and stomach viruses. ICE disputed this account, saying the baby “immediately received proper care.”
Other families have described more routine but still concerning issues, including difficulty sleeping in quarters where lights remain on throughout the night and stomach problems allegedly caused by poor drinking water quality. Both adults and children have reported the psychological toll of detention, with many experiencing despair.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and ICE have strongly defended conditions at Dilley. “The Dilley facility is a family residential center designed specifically to house family units in a safe, structured and appropriate environment,” ICE Director Todd M. Lyons said in a statement. ICE maintains that the facility provides medical screenings, infant care packages, classrooms, and recreational spaces.
CoreCivic, the for-profit prison company that operates Dilley under contract with ICE, expects the facility to generate approximately $180 million in annual revenue once in full operation, according to recent securities filings. A company spokesperson denied that any child has been “denied medical treatment or experienced a delayed medical assessment,” stating that detainees receive comprehensive care from medical and mental health professionals.
The increased detention of families comes amid reduced oversight. The Trump administration has significantly reduced the office responsible for monitoring conditions inside facilities like Dilley. Previous investigations had identified problems at the center, including inadequate staffing and insufficient attention to trauma caused by detention.
A special committee had previously recommended that family detention be discontinued except in rare cases, a recommendation the Biden administration began implementing in 2021, leading to Dilley’s closure in 2024. The Trump administration’s decision to reopen the facility represents a complete reversal of this approach, raising concerns about the welfare of the children and families held there.
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10 Comments
This report highlights the harsh human toll of the administration’s tough stance on immigration. Locking up children, even with their parents, is a disturbing practice that warrants urgent policy review and reform.
Agreed. The human impact of these policies is deeply troubling. We should be looking for more compassionate solutions that uphold the rights and dignity of immigrant families, especially children.
This is a troubling situation. Detaining children and separating families is a heavy-handed and inhumane approach to immigration enforcement. There must be more humane solutions that prioritize the well-being of vulnerable minors.
I agree. Protecting children should be the top priority, not using them as political pawns. This policy seems misguided and overly punitive.
The statistics are alarming – over 3,800 children detained in just 9 months is an unacceptable level. I hope policymakers can find a more compassionate approach that respects human rights and the dignity of immigrant families.
Absolutely. Detaining so many children is a disturbing trend that raises serious moral and ethical concerns. The human impact of these policies needs to be the top consideration.
The statistics on child detentions are deeply concerning. While border security is important, the well-being of vulnerable minors should be the top priority. I hope policymakers can find a more humane approach.
Absolutely. Detaining children, even temporarily, raises serious moral and ethical issues. There must be better solutions that protect the rights and dignity of immigrant families.
While immigration is a complex issue, the welfare of children should be the top priority. Holding them in detention centers, even temporarily, seems unnecessarily cruel and likely to have long-term psychological impacts.
I share your concerns. Detaining innocent children, many of whom may be traumatized already, is a very heavy-handed and inhumane approach. There must be better ways to handle these situations.