A group of Texas Democrats in the House of Representatives is demanding the closure of an immigration center in Dilley, Texas, after discovering inhumane conditions during an oversight visit last week.
Texas Representatives Christian Menefee (D-TX), Joaquin Castro (D-TX), Henry Cuellar (D-TX) and Sylvia Garcia (D-TX) were among the members conducting the visit to the Dilley Immigration Processing Center, the largest family immigration detention center in the country.
During the visit, the representatives met with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials and facility operators, who described the center’s conditions as safe and humane. Members also spoke directly to detainees, who shared a different perspective.
“There were glaring inconsistencies between what facility officials told us and what detainees described,” Rep. Menefee said. “We heard story after story about untreated medical conditions, food that makes people sick and children suffering physically and emotionally.”
Now, Rep. Menefee is calling for the closure of the facility, citing these accounts of mistreatment, inadequate medical care, and harmful living conditions for children and parents.
“What I saw today was disturbing, and what I heard was even worse,” Rep. Menefee said. “No family should be treated this way in the United States of America.”
This is not the first time this specific detention center has come under controversy.
In February, ICE Director Todd Lyons addressed similar concerns over the center's conditions, claiming the Dilley facility is specifically designed to hold families with its “structured and appropriate environment.”
“It’s a place where families who have been in the U.S. illegally can get medical care, educational services, recreational opportunities and essential daily living needs while they await deportation,” Director Lyons said in a public statement.
Rep. Menefee said the detainees the representatives spoke to reported significant weight loss from inedible food, delayed medical care, limited communication with families and lawyers, and poor educational resources for children. Members also heard accounts of family separation.
“What we saw today were mothers, fathers and children being subjected to cruel and degrading treatment,” Rep. Menefee said. “These are human beings. They deserve dignity, due process and basic humanity. What is happening inside this facility is unacceptable.”
Rep. Menefee added that the conditions he and other members witnessed represent the need for major reforms to the immigration detention system.
“This will not be my last visit. We cannot look away. We must close this facility, reunite families and build an immigration system that reflects our American values,” Rep. Menefee said.
