SAN ANTONIO, TX —On Tuesday, July 28, FWD.us and Families Belong Together held a press conference alongside U.S. Representative Joaquin Castro (TX-20) and members of the Democratic Women’s Caucus urging the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to release women, children and families locked away at the Dilley Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Detention Center.
Click here for a recording of the press conference.
The press conference was held shortly after the congressional delegation toured the South Texas family detention center, which has been wrought with reports of inhumane treatment. Congressman Castro was joined by Rep. Yassamin Ansari (AZ-3), Rep. Lizzie Fletcher (TX-7), Rep. Ayanna Pressley (MA-7), and Rep. Luz Rivas (CA-29). The members of Congress spoke on the troubling conditions they witnessed. Family advocates and community stakeholders have cited poor water quality and medical care, insufficient meals and a lack of educational resources for children.
Congressman Castro and members of the Democratic Women’s Caucus stand firm in their call for DHS to release the children and families trapped in ICE detention centers, advocating for immigration policies that uphold the dignity and safety of our nation’s immigrants.
Todd Schulte, President of FWD.us, opened the press conference emphasizing the dangers of today’s immigration enforcement practices and policies. “The inhumane conditions at Dilley are well-documented and we must end family detention. This includes shutting down Dilley and releasing these children and families immediately. Dilley lacks basic necessities for anyone, especially children: no access to clean water, medical care, or proper education. Dilley reflects a broader pattern that should not be expanded with additional, unprecedented taxpayer funding. Yet, Congress has committed more than $260 billion to expand enforcement, on top of the regular appropriations to ICE and CBP of roughly $30 billion for FY25. This will only cause irreparable harm to children and communities. Thank you to the Members who continue to call for the release of families and we join them in their calls for Dilley’s closure.”
Statements from the Members included:
U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro (TX-20) said, “Today, I met again with the children and families being detained in Dilley. For months I have been visiting Dilley, where there still remains no access to proper medical care, food, or education. Despite repeated and continued calls from myself, my colleagues, and our communities demanding, this cruel and inhumane treatment continues. The children and families being held at Dilley must be freed and the center closed immediately.”
U.S. Rep. Yassamin Ansari (AZ-3) said, “What we saw today at Dilley was nothing short of horrific. No child, woman, or family should be locked up like this. We must close Dilley now and release these families. Children are being jailed and traumatized while private contractors profit from it, all at the expense of American taxpayers.”
U.S. Rep. Lizzie Fletcher (TX-7) said, “Every American needs to know what we saw at the ICE Detention Center in Dilley today because it is the opposite of what we say we stand for as Americans. What we saw when we went to the facility to conduct oversight was desperation and indefinite detention for some—many women waiting for months and months with no information about their cases. By definition, no one at Dilley has a criminal record, but there we spoke with women who had little contact with the world outside, little information, and little hope. They are experiencing trauma while the rest of the country goes on without insight into their conditions or their cases because the U.S. government is not being honest with the American people about what, how, and why it is doing what it is doing. It must stop. This mass detention of women, children, and families does not serve the interests of the American people and does not represent who we are or aspire to be as a people.”
U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley (MA-7) said, “The world is watching as the Trump administration separates immigrant families, destroys the lives of children and parents, and locks them away without due process or access to adequate water, food, education, and medical care. What we witnessed in this facility was harrowing and horrific. I leave today clear as ever that Congress must close Dilley, end the practice of family detention, and abolish ICE now. We must put an end to Trump and ICE’s campaign of terror, and keep fighting for dignity, humanity, and freedom for every single one of our neighbors.”
U.S. Rep. Luz Rivas (CA-29) said, “ICE is being increasingly secretive about their actions at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center. We were only allowed to speak to one child out of 112 children – and even that interaction was cut short. ICE is traumatizing over 500 individuals – including pregnant women, children, and infants as young as 2 months old – and subjecting them to inhumane conditions for extended periods of time. These individuals should be living their lives, welcoming their newborn children, playing with their friends, and raising their families outside of ICE detention. The Trump Administration must be held accountable for the trauma it is inflicting on immigrant families. Children should not be detained, and I am continuing to call for the Dilley Detention Facility to be shut down, immediately.”
Click HERE for a recording of the press conference.
