The number of children at Dilley prison camp has gone up yet again

Children walk between structures at the Dilley detention camp. Credit: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement / Charles Reed

The number of children at the South Texas ICE Processing Center in Dilley has increased over the past month due to a surge in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids, according to U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro.

Castro, a San Antonio Democrat, told reporters at a Tuesday press conference held after his seventh inspection of the facility that the number of children at the trailer prison had increased to 112 from 96 during his previous visit in May.

The overall population at the detention center — located an hour Southwest of San Antonio —has also increased. The total population is now 539, up from approximately 400 a month ago, the congressman said.

“I believe that is the result of the ICE surge that we’ve seen over the last month or so,” Castro said.

At its lowest point, the population of the detention site operated by for-profit prison company CoreCivic had fallen to just 100 people in March, compared with an average daily population of approximately 1,000 in January, which included more than 400 children.

The youngest child being held at the trailer prison is just 2 months old, according to KENS 5.

Castro visited the facility Tuesday with members of the Democratic Women’s Caucus, including U.S. Reps. Yassamin Ansari of Arizona, Lizzie Fletcher of Texas, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts and Luz Rivas of California. After their tour, the Democratic lawmakers renewed calls for closing Dilley, the only facility that imprisons children in the United States.

“Remember that this is a system where you sometimes have young kids who have to represent themselves in front of judges in court,” Castro said. “Something that, in the United States, even a convicted killer doesn’t have to do because they get legal representation.”

A San Antonio teenager and her father are among those detained inside. The girl was detained on her way to church, Castro said.

“They told her dad they we’re going to send her out of state if he didn’t pick her up,” Castro said. “He could pick her up and take her home.”

When the father arrived, Castro said, he too was detained.

Actors Mark Ruffalo, Ilana Glazer, Busy Philipps, Cynthia Nixon, Jessica Alba, Ximena Sariñana and YouTube educator Ms. Rachel have also joined the push to shut down Dilley. A letter signed by 111 House Democrats earlier this month also calls on the Trump White House to shutter the facility.

“Remember, every time a child is put into the Dilley detention center, somebody in America makes more money,” Castro said in a Tuesday press release. “We have commodified child imprisonment in our nation.”

Tags: