Conditions inside the family immigration detention facility in Dilley, Texas drawing renewed scrutiny as detainees, attorneys and advocates describe shortages in medical attention, inadequate food and water, and serious mental-health strain — allegations that federal officials and the private operator dispute.
The facility — operated by CoreCivic under contract with U.S. Department of Homeland Security — resumed holding families after the practice was curtailed during the Joe Biden administration.
Donald Trump has revived family detention as part of a broader immigration crackdown, with more arrests occurring away from the border, including parents and children who had been living in U.S. communities for years, according to reporting by ProPublica.
In interviews and letters collected since December, children described fear, boredom and depression, often focusing on missed school, teachers and siblings.
One 14-year-old wrote that in the center “all you will feel is sadness and mostly depression,” while another child’s drawing included the message: “I am not happy, please get me out of here.”
Health care is a central point of contention. RAICES said in a court filing that families at Dilley raised concerns about inadequate medical care on at least 700 occasions since August 2025, including delays and lack of follow-up for children’s complaints.
Mothers also told reporters their children were frequently ill, struggled to sleep on metal bunks in crowded rooms, and sometimes refused meals after reporting worms or mold in food.
Federal officials, however, say detainees receive medical care and basic necessities, including meals evaluated by dieticians, hygiene supplies and the option for families to remain together during deportation proceedings.
The company says the site is subject to multiple layers of oversight and provides a “continuum” of health services, including mental health support.
The dispute is unfolding against the backdrop of the decades-old Flores Settlement Agreement, which generally limits how long children can be held in immigration detention. The administration argues the agreement is outdated, while advocates say prolonged detentions persist.
Recent public-health concerns have intensified attention: at least two active measles infections have been reported at the Dilley facility, prompting federal officials to halt movement and quarantine some detainees; attorneys said in-person legal visits were paused as a precaution.
San Antonio U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, a Republican, has publicly defended the Dilley family detention facility and downplayed criticisms of conditions there.
Last Sunday on CBS’ "Face the Nation" he said he has visited the Dilley facility “many times,” called it a “nice facility,” and added that it’s “nicer than some elementary schools in San Antonio.”
In a recent social media post Gonzales argued that critics were “grandstanding” and said he’d seen “state-of-the-art facilities & protocols” that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement follows at the Dilley ICE center in his district.
Guest:
Mica Rosenberg is an investigative reporter on ProPublica’s national desk focusing on immigration. She is the reporter on The Children of Dilley.
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