Kids locked inside a federal immigration detention center in Dilley, Texas, say they are having nightmares, going hungry on rotting food, and falling behind in school as the Biden administration's renewed use of family detention draws growing national outrage.
New court declarations and media reports describe a grim daily reality for hundreds of children held at the South Texas Family Residential Center, operated for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) by private prison company CoreCivic.
Advocates say some children wake up crying from nightmares after nighttime bed checks and constant surveillance, describing the facility as feeling like a prison instead of a shelter. Parents told attorneys that their children have become withdrawn, lose weight, and talk about being scared all the time, according to NBC News.
The facility drew national attention after a photo of 5‑year‑old Liam Conejo Ramos, detained there after his father's arrest in Minnesota, spread widely online and triggered protests inside and outside the center. Families say Liam's fear reflects what many children experience every day in Dilley.
Food, Health, and Nightmares
Multiple families report meals that children refuse to eat because they are greasy, heavily spiced, or visibly spoiled. In sworn statements, parents say they have found worms and mold in the food and that some kids survive mainly on crackers or juice when they cannot stomach what is served in the cafeteria. Advocates say children often appear pale, weak, and faint because they are hungry or sick.
Families also describe serious medical concerns, including delayed care for injuries and illnesses and limited mental health support as children struggle with anxiety and insomnia.
One teenager who reported repeated nightmares said a counselor only suggested breathing exercises and warm milk, without asking deeper questions about self‑harm or trauma. Health fears intensified after officials confirmed measles cases inside the facility, raising alarms about disease spreading in crowded dorms full of young children, the Texas Tribune reported.
Read more: Four Children Arrested by ICE at Columbia Heights Minnesota School District as Tensions Ramp Up
Lost School Time and "No Real Education"
Parents and lawyers say children at Dilley are losing months of schooling while they wait in detention. According to court filings, many kids receive no more than an hour a day of basic worksheets and coloring pages, with some turned away when rooms are full.
Older children say they feel bored and scared they will fall behind classmates back home, and there is still no fully "comprehensive education program" in place that meets court standards.
A recent plan to open a for‑profit school inside the for‑profit detention center has fueled criticism that private companies are profiting from prolonged family detention instead of finding community‑based alternatives.
ICE insists that Dilley meets federal detention standards and that families receive food, medical care, and basic services, but children's advocates argue the conditions violate long‑standing legal protections for migrant kids and should end immediately, as per KTVZ.
