Lawmakers and Advocates Demand Release of Families from ICE Detention Hellhole in Dilley

On April 8, U.S. Representatives Joaquin Castro (TX-20) and Greg Casar (TX-35), alongside immigrant rights groups FWD.us and Families Belong Together, held a press conference to demand the release of families detained at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in Texas. Their visit revealed a grim reality: children and parents locked behind walls in a facility plagued by unsafe conditions, inadequate medical care, and a shocking lack of basic necessities.

The Dilley center, operated by ICE and private contractor CoreCivic, has long drawn national outrage for its treatment of vulnerable families. According to attorneys and advocates, children suffer from poor water quality, insufficient meals, and little to no medical attention, especially for pregnant women. These are not isolated complaints but systemic abuses that reflect the Trump administration’s broader assault on immigrant rights.

Zaira Garcia, Regional Government Relations Director at FWD.us, framed the issue bluntly: “This is not a policy debate or an abstract problem. It is mothers, fathers, and children whose health and dignity are at risk.” She urged the country to choose policies that honor human values rather than perpetuate cruelty and incarceration.

Rep. Castro was equally direct, calling the facility a “trailer prison” that has grown more secretive and cruel under the new DHS leadership. He recounted speaking directly with detained children and families who lack proper medical, dental, and mental health care. “It’s cruel and inhumane to lock these children and families up,” he declared. “Together, we will shut down Dilley and free our children.”

Rep. Casar blasted the Trump administration’s dishonesty about the scale of family detention. “We learned this week the Trump Administration has detained 6,200 kids,” he said. “Congressman Castro and I saw with our own eyes how Trump and ICE lie, and lie, and lie about mass deportations and detention of children. This must end.”

The press conference also condemned the ongoing ICE raids that terrorize immigrant communities and called for an immediate halt to new ICE hires and plans to expand detention facilities. This demand for accountability and humane treatment comes amid a growing resistance movement fighting back against the administration’s authoritarian immigration policies.

The Dilley detention center stands as a stark symbol of the Trump administration’s disregard for human rights and the rule of law. The voices of Castro, Casar, FWD.us, and Families Belong Together remind us that behind every statistic is a family suffering in silence—and that silence must be broken.

For the full press conference recording and photos from the visit, see the original source at FWD.us.