Children Still Locked Up at ICE's Dilley Facility Despite Drop in Numbers

The Dilley Immigration Processing Center remains the only ICE detention facility in the United States still holding children alongside their parents. Although the total detainee population has dropped significantly—from over 1,100 in January to just under 400 this week—members of Congress touring the facility warn that the situation remains dire and unacceptable.

U.S. Representative Joaquin Castro, who has visited Dilley five times, called the center a nonstop scene of horrors and abuses. “I don’t believe any child should be in detention, most especially these innocent kids who have done nothing wrong,” Castro said. Among those detained at Dilley were five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, who were arrested in Minnesota and later released, as well as the Gámez-Cuéllar brothers, young mariachi musicians recently freed and now performing with Kacey Musgraves.

Castro also highlighted the case of two elementary school children from Alamo Heights Independent School District and their stepmother, detained while their classmates watched. The children expressed missing their father and friends, underscoring the trauma inflicted by detention.

U.S. Representative Sylvia Garcia described the facility bluntly as a “baby jail” designed to torment families and coerce self-deportation—even when detainees include U.S.-born children and asylum seekers with legitimate claims. Garcia emphasized that none of the detainees she met had criminal records, directly contradicting President Trump’s claims that ICE targets criminals.

Christian Menefee, another Texas Democrat who toured Dilley, reported seeing “a ton of dishonesty” from ICE officials who claimed detainees receive adequate health care and nutrition. In reality, families are falling ill from the food, children are losing weight, and mothers are unable to access basic health services or essential items.

Despite the drop in detainees, Castro insists public pressure and attention to individual children’s stories are crucial to pushing for the facility’s closure. “Children should not be locked up in detention facilities when they should be with their families and in school,” he said.

The Dilley facility’s ongoing operation highlights a grim reality: the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement continues to prioritize detention over humane treatment and due process, leaving vulnerable children behind bars in a system rife with neglect and abuse.