Congressman Joaquin Castro (D) visited Valley View Elementary School in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he reunited with Liam Conejo Ramos, a child he previously accompanied home after his detention at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in Texas.
Rep. Castro said Liam was one of the children detained during what he described as "Operation Metro Surge." He also met with another student and her family, including a mother and daughter who he said spent more than 50 days at Dilley.
Castro said both families described different conditions during their detention, including arriving without personal belongings or adequate meals and not understanding why they had been detained.
"The suffering does not end when children leave Dilley. It inflicts lasting trauma," said Castro.
The congressman has repeatedly called for the closure of the Dilley facility. In July, Castro led 111 House Democrats in calling on the Department of Homeland Security to end family detention and shut down the Dilley Immigration Processing Center. The lawmakers cited concerns about conditions at the facility and the effects of detention on children and families.
Castro has also previously highlighted Liam's case. In June, he said Liam was among the children detained at Dilley and criticized the continued detention of children and families.
During his visit to Valley View Elementary, Castro thanked the school's teachers, staff and administrators for helping students feel safe and supported.
"Kids deserve to be kids," said Castro. "We need to shut down Dilley and end child detention in America."
