Immigrant family held in Texas detention center for months beyond legal limit
A teenage boy and his mother have been confined for over 100 days at the Dilley, Texas ICE facility, far exceeding the 20-day cap for child detainees.
Following a memo from Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordering the revocation of their permanent residency, ICE separated an Iranian-origin family and sent the father to the South Texas Processing Center in Pearsall while the teenage son and mother were placed in the Dilley detention center. The teen and his mother have now spent 123 days in Dilley, a duration that far exceeds the 20-day limit imposed by the Flores settlement, a federal court agreement dating back to 1985.
Their affidavit describes infestations, poor food, and only ten-minute supervised calls with the father every two weeks. The detention’s legality is being challenged in the 9th Circuit, and U.S. District Judge Dolly M. Gee has signaled intent to appoint a monitor to enforce compliance. Representative Joaquin Castro and immigrant-rights lawyers have called for the closure of Dilley, arguing the conditions and prolonged confinement breach federal law and harm children’s health.
Why it matters
The case highlights ongoing violations of federal limits on child detention and raises concerns about due process and humanitarian standards.
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