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Trump Administration Reopens Texas Family Detention Centers for Immigration Enforcement

The controversial policy revives family detention at private facilities, drawing criticism over past allegations of abuse and neglect.

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In this Aug. 23, 2019 file photo, immigrants seeking asylum hold hands as they leave a cafeteria at the ICE South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas. The isolation of at least three families at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's detention center in Dilley, has raised new fears of the coronavirus spreading through a facility that has long been accused of providing substandard medical care.
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This June 30, 2015 file photo shows a sign at the entrance to the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas. A report that a child died shortly after being released from a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Texas has inflamed the debate over the detention of immigrant families. The American Immigration Lawyers Association said Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018, that it had learned of the death of a child shortly after the child and parent left the ICE family detention center at Dilley. 

Overview

  • The Trump administration has resumed the practice of detaining migrant families, reopening two Texas facilities, including the 2,400-bed South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley.
  • The Biden administration had closed these centers in 2021, citing high costs and a shift toward alternatives like remote tracking technology.
  • Private prison company CoreCivic, which operates the Dilley facility, expects to generate $180 million annually under a new contract running through 2030.
  • Advocacy groups and lawmakers have condemned the move, citing past allegations of neglect, abuse, and inadequate medical care at these facilities, including reports of a child’s death in 2018.
  • The Trump administration plans to expand mass deportations, with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) targeting families, even those without criminal records, for detention and removal.