ICE South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley
Creative Commons
Handwritten letters and drawings by children detained at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in South Texas describe fear, prolonged confinement and missed schooling.
Materials were published by ProPublica after being collected from families held at the facility. The nonprofit outlet reported that it received the letters in mid-January after reporter Mica Rosenberg asked detained parents whether their children would be willing to write about or draw their experiences. One detainee gathered the letters and carried them out upon release on Jan. 20, saying families understood they would be shared publicly with a journalist.
Dilley is currently the only U.S. immigration facility that detains families together. ProPublica reported that more than 750 families were being held there in early February, nearly half including children, along with hundreds of single adult women. The outlet said most of the children who wrote letters had been living in the United States before being detained.
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In one letter, Susej F., a 9-year-old from Venezuela who said she had been held for 50 days, wrote: "I miss my school and my friends I feel bad since when I came here to this Place, because I have been here too long." She added that seeing how immigrants are treated "changes my perspective about the U.S."
Ariana V.V., a 14-year-old from Honduras who reported being detained for 45 days, wrote:
"Since I got to this Center all you will feel is sadness and mostly depression. When people have their courts the longest they will last is 15 minutes, our rights are not being provided, arrest are happening when people don't even have any type of order, arrests are happening illegally"
Other children referenced illness and medical care, including one 12-year-old wrote that when detainees visit the doctor, "the only thing they tell you is to drink more water."
The Department of Homeland Security told ProPublica that detainees at Dilley receive "proper medical care," meals, water, clothing and hygiene supplies. The agency said children have access to teachers, classrooms and curriculum materials, and that families may choose to remain together or arrange placement with another caregiver.
CoreCivic, the private company that operates the facility, added that it is subject to multiple layers of oversight and that health and safety standards are enforced.
ProPublica said some of the children who wrote letters have since been released, while the status of others is unknown.
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Tags: Immigration, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement