Children's Letters from ICE Detention Paint Disturbing Picture of Conditions
Heartbreaking letters and drawings from children detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in South Texas have sparked widespread outrage and revealed deeply concerning conditions within detention facilities. ProPublica has obtained a collection of written correspondence from young detainees held at the Dilley Immigration Processing Centre in Texas, where some individuals have been incarcerated for six months or longer.
Disturbing Accounts from Inside Dilley Facility
The Dilley centre, which holds approximately 750 families with hundreds of children, is the only ICE facility currently detaining family units. Reports have emerged alleging that food served to detainees is contaminated with mould and worms, while facilities are described as severely overcrowded. This is the same location where young Liam Ramos was previously detained with his father before a judge ordered his release.
In their letters, children have drawn pictures of their families and rainbows while writing poignantly about missing their previous lives before ICE detention. Their words provide a raw, unfiltered glimpse into the psychological toll of their confinement.
Children's Testimonies Reveal Psychological Trauma
Nine-year-old Susej wrote: 'I have been 50 days in the Dilley Immigration Processing Centre...I miss my family in my country, so now I want to go to Venezuela. But my mom does not want to leave because she wants a better future for me. Seeing how people like me, immigrants, are treated changes my perspective about the U.S.'
Fourteen-year-old Ariana, detained for 45 days, reported that her younger siblings haven't seen their mother in a month. She observed: 'All kids are being damaged mentally, I witness how they've been treated. They don't have schools, doctors; all they have are nurses... people are always sick. Serious situations happen, and the officers don't take them seriously enough.'
Another 14-year-old, Gaby, wrote about staff behaviour: 'The officers have a bad manner of speaking to residents when they are asking anything. The workers treat the residents inhumanely, verbally, and I don't want to imagine how they would act if they were unsupervised.'
Maria, aged nine, shared her physical distress: 'I have fainted 2 times here inside. When I arrived every night, I cried, and now I don't sleep well. I felt that being here was my fault...'
Broader Immigration Enforcement Context
These disturbing revelations emerge as ICE agents face accusations of employing increasingly outlandish tactics to apprehend undocumented migrants. Immigration authorities have reportedly used disguises and deceptive practices—termed 'ruses'—to gain warrantless entry into homes. Legal observers note a growing number of reports describing federal agents impersonating construction workers, delivery drivers, and even anti-ICE activists.
The United States government has stated that the Department of Homeland Security has 'removed more than 700,000 illegal aliens' amid ongoing sweeping immigration enforcement measures. The children's letters provide a human dimension to these statistics, highlighting the personal costs of current immigration policies and detention practices.
