The Dilley Immigration Processing Center, reopened by the Trump administration, is holding a growing number of children, many for extended periods beyond legal limits. Families report stressful conditions, including weeping children and inadequate medical care, with some detainees experiencing severe mental health crises. Concerns about oversight are amplified by staff reductions in a department previously responsible for monitoring conditions, leading to questions about the well-being of children in detention.
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Kheilin Valero Marcano’s account details her 17-month-old daughter Amalia’s deteriorating health after their family, seeking asylum, was transferred to Dilley. Amalia suffered from worsening respiratory symptoms, complicated by a policy requiring families to wait outside for medication doses, even in harsh weather. A severe decline on January 18th led to hospitalization for pneumonia, Covid-19, RSV, and respiratory distress, with medical staff reportedly withholding a prescribed nebulizer upon their return to Dilley before their eventual release. These events, alongside similar reports from other families, raise concerns about potential systemic failures in early identification and appropriate intervention for children at the facility.
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Following a hospitalization for respiratory issues, two-month-old Juan Nicolás and his family were deported to Mexico by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. This action occurred after the infant spent over three weeks in a Texas detention center, sparking condemnation from Representative Joaquin Castro, who has been actively trying to secure the family’s release. The family, reportedly deported with only $190, is now being tracked to ensure their safety, particularly Juan’s precarious health which includes bronchitis. The article highlights concerns about conditions within ICE detention facilities, including recent measles outbreaks and inadequate care for sick children.
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A toddler named Amalia became critically ill with respiratory failure while detained with her parents in South Texas and was hospitalized for ten days. Despite medical recommendations for continued treatment, she was returned to detention, where prescribed medications were reportedly denied. It was only after lawyers filed an emergency habeas corpus petition challenging her confinement that Amalia and her family were released.
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Accounts from detained families, lawyers, and court filings describe the Dilley Immigration Processing Center as a facility where children suffer from contaminated food, limited education, and inadequate medical care. The center gained national attention after a photograph of a 5-year-old boy being taken into federal custody there sparked widespread outrage and highlighted the increasing reliance on family detention. Recent confirmation of measles cases at Dilley, combined with advocates’ concerns about the facility’s hygiene and medical oversight, raises acute public health risks, particularly for vulnerable children. Despite these issues, the Department of Homeland Security asserts that detainees receive comprehensive care and that measures are being taken to contain the measles outbreak.
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Two cases of measles have been confirmed at the Dilley immigration detention center in Texas, contributing to a growing nationwide outbreak. The virus is spreading rapidly, with states like South Carolina, Arizona, and Utah reporting hundreds of cases and significant hospitalizations. Experts warn that detention centers, with their close quarters and potential for poor health conditions, can become breeding grounds for infectious diseases like measles, posing a risk to both detainees and surrounding communities. Federal officials have remained largely silent on national vaccination campaigns, placing the burden of prevention on state and local efforts amid rising vaccine hesitancy.
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Since being taken into custody with his father, 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos has appeared depressed and lethargic at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, according to Rep. Joaquin Castro. Castro, who visited Liam and his father, has expressed concern for the boy’s mental state and called for his release. The conditions at the facility, described as prison-like, have drawn criticism, including allegations of poor medical care and limited access to food. A federal judge has issued a stay on Liam’s deportation, and the boy’s father has filed a lawsuit against federal officials.
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On January 16, 2026, Yohendry De Jesus Crespo, Darianny Liseth Gonzalez De Crespo, and their 7-year-old daughter Diana were detained by immigration officers outside of Portland Adventist Health while seeking medical attention for Diana. The family is now held at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas, a facility known for concerns regarding medical care. The family, who arrived from Venezuela over a year ago and have pending asylum applications, was reportedly denied Diana’s request to see a doctor despite the situation. Oregon officials and advocacy groups have expressed concern about the family’s detention, particularly the well-being of the child, and have called for swift and humane action.
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This article provides contact information for several investigative and state government reporters. Justin Garcia, an investigative reporter, can be reached at a specified email address. Alexandra Glorioso, a state government reporter for the Miami Herald, is based in Tallahassee. Additionally, Lawrence Mower, a Tallahassee correspondent, can be contacted via email. The article also notes that while a sample of comments is publicly available, a Times subscription is required to participate in the online discussion.
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Early Tuesday morning, police in Milwaukee arrested two adults after discovering six children, ranging from two months to nine years old, locked inside a storage unit. The children were unharmed, and a 26-year-old woman and a 33-year-old man were taken into custody. Regular customers of the storage facility expressed shock and questioned the facility’s security, noting they had never seen children at the location previously. The relationship between the adults and children, as well as the circumstances of the incident, remain under investigation. The Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office will review the charges.
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John Q. Hosedrinker
ICE Detains Asylum-Seeking Family Seeking Medical Care in Oregon
On January 16, 2026, Yohendry De Jesus Crespo, Darianny Liseth Gonzalez De Crespo, and their 7-year-old daughter Diana were detained by immigration officers outside of Portland Adventist Health while seeking medical attention for Diana. The family is now held at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas, a facility known for concerns regarding medical care. The family, who arrived from Venezuela over a year ago and have pending asylum applications, was reportedly denied Diana’s request to see a doctor despite the situation. Oregon officials and advocacy groups have expressed concern about the family’s detention, particularly the well-being of the child, and have called for swift and humane action.
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