The Sharp and Mysterious Decline in Family Detentions at Dilley
Data obtained by ProPublica reveals a dramatic and unexplained plummet in the number of parents and children booked into the country’s only immigrant family detention center, located in Dilley, Texas. In February, “book-ins” fell by more than 75% compared to the previous month, dropping from a monthly average of roughly 600 since April 2025 to just 133. By mid-March, that number had fallen further to 54. The daily population mirrored this trend, shrinking from an average of over 900 in January to around 100 people in the facility this week.
Current and former Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials, as well as attorneys with clients at Dilley, told ProPublica they could not definitively explain the sharp decline. However, they noted the shift followed weeks of intensifying public pressure, significantly fueled by the widespread publication of letters written by detained children. These letters, which ProPublica published on February 9 after a visit to the facility in mid-January, described the despair and conditions inside the South Texas detention center.
Children’s Voices Spark National Outcry
The children’s testimonies ignited a storm of outrage. Their letters were read aloud in congressional hearings, pasted on posters at anti-ICE demonstrations, and amplified across media platforms. During a February 10 hearing, Rep. James McGovern (D-Mass.), not Walkinshaw as previously stated, held up a drawing by 5-year-old Venezuelan girl Luisanney Toloza. “None of the faces are smiling,” he said, pressing ICE’s acting director on the psychological impact of detaining children.
The public attention began with another 5-year-old, Liam Conejo Ramos, arrested in Minnesota on January 20. A viral photo of him wearing a blue bunny hat at the time of his detention humanized the crisis. Emboldened detainees later organized a protest captured in an aerial photo shared widely on social media. The outcry grew: nearly 4,000 health professionals called for the immediate release of all detained children, and educator and social media personality Ms. Rachel (Rachel Accurso) shared a video conversation with a child at Dilley with her 4.9 million Instagram followers, drawing over 3,700 comments.
Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas), a leading advocate for shutting down Dilley, responded to the population drop by stating, “That trailer prison is no place for children, and I’m glad to hear that the numbers continue to decline… It’s a reminder that people can make a difference by speaking up.”
Official Responses and Facility Conditions
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees ICE, maintained in a statement that custody decisions are made “daily, on a case-by-case basis,” asserting that “the administration does not make immigration decisions based on public opinion. We follow the rule of law.” The agency has previously described Dilley as offering a safe environment with educational materials, childcare, and round-the-clock medical and mental health care. CoreCivic, the private prison company operating the facility, stated it has “no say whatsoever” in release or deportation decisions and that detainee health and safety is its “top priority.”
Following the protests and publication of the children’s letters, detainees and attorneys reported that guards conducted room searches and confiscated crayons, colored pencils, and drawing paper. ProPublica also learned the facility cut off access to video calls in common areas. In a recent court filing, the Trump administration stated personal property was not destroyed and that confiscated items were “limited to materials identified as protest-related and not authorized under facility rules.” CoreCivic “vehemently” denied staff confiscated or destroyed children’s artwork. DHS said video call restrictions followed the online livestreaming of calls that disseminated “law enforcement sensitive information,” noting private rooms, in-person visitation, and phones remained available.
Legal Loopholes and Prolonged Stays
A long-standing legal settlement, the Flores agreement, generally prohibits the detention of children for more than 20 days. However, ICE data showed the average stay in family detention exceeded 50 days every month from November through February, well beyond the agreement’s limit. DHS has previously argued the Flores agreement, from the 1990s, is outdated and should be terminated because newer regulations address children’s needs.
The facility’s population now includes families arrested inside the U.S. with established roots, a shift from its original purpose under President Obama in 2014 for recent border crossers. President Biden halted family detentions in 2021, but President Trump resumed them upon taking office a second time. The vast majority of adults held at Dilley have no U.S. criminal record, and children range from newborns to teenagers.
Human Impact: From Nine Months to a Miracle Release
One family, Egyptian nationals Hayam El Gamal and her five children (ages 5 to 18), has been detained at Dilley for nine months. They were taken into custody after the father, Mohamed Soliman, was charged in an alleged antisemitic attack in Boulder, Colorado, that killed one person and injured 13. The family claimed no knowledge of his plans; DHS said the investigation continues.
Contrasting their prolonged detention, a 13-year-old Guatemalan boy named Edison was released with his mother this week after 92 days in custody. During his detention, he cried in video calls to his father in Chicago, saying he felt treated like a criminal. In the early hours of Wednesday, a guard told them to pack. By night, they were on a plane 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.” Upon landing, the family went straight home for a seafood dinner, one of Edison’s favorites.
