Texas is currently the only state that has federal immigration detention centers that house children and their parents. Families detained by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement are sent to Texas, regardless of their place of residency.
The South Texas Family Residential in Dilley, Texas, southeast of San Antonio, recently held a five-year-old boy and his father after they were detained by ICE. This case triggered protests and legal challenges from various immigration advocates and lawmakers.
Advocates claim the government is detaining families for extended periods of time, going past the 20-day limit set in place by the Flores Settlement Agreement. The Flores Settlement is a binding, nationwide decree establishing the minimum standards for the treatment, detention and release of minors in federal immigration custody. The agreement requires that children be held in safe, sanitary and licensed facilities. Children are typically placed in the least restrictive setting and allowed to be with parents or guardians without unnecessary delay.
Protesters allege the Dilley facility’s conditions are poor and that legal access to the detainees is difficult.
Lawmakers from both parties have joined the debate. Democratic members of Congress visited the facilities to meet the detained families, declaring the facility inhumane. Many rallied in New Braunfels to protest ICE enforcement policies.
Many officials from the Department of Homeland Security have defended the facility, claiming that it is equipped to provide meals, medical care, schooling and other services. Officials described these accusations as political attacks that overlook operational realities.
