Dilley Family Detention Center: Plunge in Detentions Follows Children’s Letters & Protests
The number of families held at the Dilley, Texas, immigration detention center plummeted in February, falling by more than 75% compared to the previous month, according to data obtained by ProPublica. Just 133 families were booked into the facility in February, down from an average of around 600 per month between April 2025 and January 2026. As of mid-March, that number had further decreased to 54.
This week, the Dilley facility held approximately 100 people in family detention, a significant drop from the average daily population of over 900 in January. The decline follows weeks of mounting public pressure sparked by the publication of letters written by children detained at Dilley, detailing their experiences and expressing despair over their separation from homes and schools. ProPublica published these letters on February 9, after a visit to the facility in mid-January, triggering widespread outrage and prompting discussion in congressional hearings and anti-ICE protests.
During a February 10 congressional hearing, Representative James Walkinshaw, a Democrat from Virginia, read aloud a letter and displayed a drawing by a 5-year-old Venezuelan girl, Luisanney Toloza, to ICE’s acting director, Todd Lyons. Walkinshaw pressed Lyons for answers regarding the potential psychological harm caused by detaining children, noting the expressions on the faces in the drawing. “None of the faces are smiling,” he said.
Public attention initially focused on 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos, who was detained with his father in Minnesota on January 20 and sent to Dilley. A photograph of Ramos wearing a blue bunny hat went viral, becoming a symbol of the detention of children. Detainees organized a protest within the facility, captured in an aerial photograph and widely shared on social media. Lawmakers demanded visits to advocate for the release of Ramos and others, and nearly 4,000 doctors, nurses, and health professionals sent a letter to the Trump administration calling for the immediate release of all children in immigration detention. Social media personality Rachel Accurso, known as Ms. Rachel, further amplified the issue by posting a video conversation with a detained child to her 4.9 million Instagram followers, generating over 3,700 comments.
Representative Joaquin Castro, a Democrat from Texas, who has been leading efforts to shut down Dilley and find alternatives to family detention, welcomed the decline in the number of families held there. “That trailer prison is no place for children, and I’m glad to hear that the numbers continue to decline,” Castro said. “It’s a reminder that people can make a difference by speaking up.”
The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, stated that custody decisions are made “daily, on a case-by-case basis” and are not based on public opinion. DHS maintains that Dilley provides a safe environment with access to educational materials, childcare, and medical and mental health care. CoreCivic, the private prison company operating the facility, stated it has no say in deportation or release decisions and prioritizes the health and safety of detainees.
Dilley first opened as a family detention facility under the Obama administration in 2014, primarily for recent border crossers. President Trump continued its operation, although President Biden halted family detentions in 2021, arguing against detaining children. Trump resumed family detentions at Dilley upon returning to office. As border crossings have decreased, more families held at Dilley have been arrested within the United States and have established roots and networks within the country. The children detained range in age from newborns to teenagers, and the majority of adults have no U.S. Criminal record.
Following the protests and publication of the children’s letters, detainees and attorneys reported that guards confiscated crayons, colored pencils, and drawing paper during room searches. This week, ProPublica learned that access to video calls in common areas had been cut off. The Trump administration stated in a court filing that confiscated personal property was limited to protest-related materials not authorized by facility rules. CoreCivic denied confiscating or destroying children’s artwork, and DHS said video call restrictions were implemented after recorded calls were livestreamed online, revealing law enforcement sensitive information. Video calls remain available in private rooms, along with in-person visitation and phone access.
Despite a legal settlement, the Flores agreement, which generally limits child detention to 20 days, data obtained by ProPublica shows that the average length of stay at Dilley has exceeded that limit since family detentions resumed last year. Between November and February, the average stay in family detention was over 50 days. DHS has argued that the Flores agreement is outdated and should be terminated, citing newer regulations addressing the needs of children in detention.
One Egyptian family, Hayam El Gamal and her five children, ranging in age from 18 to 5-year-old twins, has been detained at Dilley for nine months. They were taken into custody after the father, Mohamed Soliman, was charged in connection with an alleged antisemitic attack in Boulder, Colorado, that resulted in one death and 13 injuries. The family claims they were unaware of his plans, and DHS is continuing its investigation.
This week, a 13-year-old Guatemalan boy, Edison, was released from Dilley with his mother after 92 days in detention. During his time there, Edison expressed feelings of being treated like a criminal during video calls with his father in Chicago. A guard informed them to pack their belongings early Wednesday morning, and they were flown to Chicago that night to reunite with Edison’s father. “We don’t understand why they were released,” his father said. “All I can tell you is it was a miracle from God.” The family celebrated their reunion with a seafood dinner, one of Edison’s favorites.