ICE Family Detention in Texas Faces New Abuse Allegations

Families describe worm-infested food and 24-hour lighting at South Texas Center as new reports intensify scrutiny of ICE family detention in Texas. Parents, children, lawyers, advocates, former staff, and federal officials now offer sharply different accounts of daily life inside the Dilley facility and other Texas detention sites.

The most serious allegations involve live worms in food, unsafe water, delayed medication, sick children, intimidating guards, and lights that stay on 24 hours a day. ICE, DHS, and CoreCivic deny that detainees are held in inhumane conditions and say families receive medical care, meals, and safe living spaces.

What families say is happening inside the Dilley family detention center

Families held at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley described meals with live worms, foul or cloudy drinking water, poor medical care, and constant bright lighting. Parents and children said these conditions affected sleep, health, and their sense of safety.

Several accounts said children found worms in broccoli and other meals. Families also reported stomach illness after drinking water described as cloudy or foul-smelling. These complaints became central to the broader criticism of family detention in Texas.

Parents, attorneys, and advocates also described a tense environment with guards they viewed as intimidating. The newer reporting added another layer to earlier complaints by showing how families experienced not only poor conditions, but also a setting they said felt punitive.

Children’s daily routines appeared especially affected. Detainees described a prison-like environment where high-intensity lights remained on 24/7. Parents and lawyers connected that constant lighting to sleep deprivation, stress, and emotional distress in children.

Advocates said the lighting made it harder for children to rest or recover from illness. They also said it intensified other pressures of confinement, including legal uncertainty, fear of deportation, and separation from familiar routines.

What DHS, ICE, and CoreCivic said in response

Federal officials and the facility operator rejected the allegations.

In a statement dated February 24, 2026, ICE Director Todd M. Lyons said, “The Dilley facility is a family residential center designed specifically to house family units in a safe, structured and appropriate environment. Services include comprehensive medical screenings, infant care packages, as well as classrooms and recreational spaces.”

In a statement dated February 19, 2026, Tricia McLaughlin, a DHS spokesperson, said, “Any claim that there are ‘inhumane’ conditions at ICE detention centers are categorically false. Detainees are provided proper meals, medical treatment, and clean clothing.”

An ICE official statement dated February 18, 2026 said, “ICE is committed to ensuring that all those in custody reside in safe, secure and humane environments. Detainees receive medical, dental, and mental health screenings within 12 hours of arrival, and have access to 24-hour emergency care.”

Brian Todd, a CoreCivic spokesperson, also disputed complaints about healthcare. He said allegations of poor medical care “do not reflect the hard work our staff does every day to help people in our facilities get the care they need.”

Why Dilley drew national attention again in 2025 and 2026

The Dilley and Karnes County facilities reopened for family detention in March 2025 after an administration policy change increased detention capacity. That move put Texas family detention back at the center of the immigration debate.

National attention sharpened in January 2026 after the detention of 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos, who was taken from Minnesota to Dilley. A federal judge ordered his release on January 31, 2026.

In that order, the judge criticized the government’s pursuit of “daily deportation quotas” as “ill-conceived”. Advocates pointed to that language as a sign of deeper concern about how detention policy affects children.

Recent reporting also said families at Dilley include people with different immigration histories and legal situations. Those held there have included people with humanitarian parole, people married to U.S. citizens, and people with strong community ties. Some were taken into custody while attending immigration court dates or scheduled immigration check-ins.

Pregnant women also gave birth while detained at the facility. Those details widened concern about how family detention affects medically vulnerable people, very young children, and parents trying to comply with immigration proceedings.

Medical care concerns: delayed prescriptions, sick children, and emergency cases

Medical care remains one of the most serious issues raised by detainees and advocates. Families and attorneys described delays in treatment, withheld prescriptions, and care they viewed as too limited for children and adults with ongoing health needs.

A measles outbreak was confirmed at the Dilley facility in early February 2026. That raised new questions about infection control, pediatric care, and how sick detainees were separated from others inside the center.

Another reported incident involved a 2-month-old boy who was hospitalized after choking in custody. Public accounts did not include more detail about what happened before the hospitalization or what medical intervention came first.

Adrian Carrasquillo reported in February 2026 that medical neglect continued at Dilley. One case involved Mariela Sobrero, who had two breast lumps and needed a biopsy to determine if she had breast cancer. She was taken into custody at a court date before receiving the procedure and detained at Dilley with her husband and three children. DHS released her within hours after publication of that report.

The same reporting said medication access depended on whether nurses were present. Families said they received medication only when nurses were on duty. Serious conditions were reportedly treated with over-the-counter pain relievers such as Tylenol and Advil.

A lawsuit filed during the week of that February reporting involved an 18-month-old child who experienced respiratory failure and was not given daily prescribed medication. That case added to growing alarm over how the detention system handles children with chronic or urgent medical needs.

What the government says about health screening and emergency care

ICE says detainees receive health screenings within 12 hours of arrival and have access to 24-hour emergency care. Officials have pointed to medical, dental, and mental health screening procedures as evidence that safeguards are in place.

Advocates and families say the practical reality inside the facility does not match those formal standards. Their complaints focus on timing, follow-through, medication availability, and whether care is appropriate for infants and children.

How long children are being held

Another major concern involves how long families stay in detention. Recent reporting said children were being held far beyond the 20-day maximum established by a 1990s settlement.

One former employee said they knew of an 11-year-old who had been detained with her mother for 130 days. Extended detention periods have become part of the legal and policy fight over family detention because children’s physical and emotional health often worsens over time in custody.

Food, water, and nutrition complaints go beyond isolated meals

Families’ complaints were not limited to one meal or one day. Reports described recurring food quality concerns, poor access to clean water, and too little fruit in children’s diets.

Parents and advocates said these conditions contributed to sadness, depression, and physical discomfort among detainees. For children, nutrition issues carried added weight because many were already under stress from detention, legal uncertainty, and family fear.

The phrase “wormy food” became a powerful shorthand for those complaints. It captured both the specific allegation of live worms in meals and the larger belief among detainees that basic standards of care were not being met.

Psychological harm: sleep deprivation, regression, and fear

Families and advocates described a pattern of psychological harm linked to detention. Sleep disruption was one of the most repeated concerns because of the bright lights that reportedly remained on all day and all night.

Parents said children struggled to sleep and became more anxious, withdrawn, or agitated. Advocates also described developmental regression, bedwetting, and selective mutism after detention.

These reports fit a broader criticism of family detention: children do not experience confinement the same way adults do. Even when families stay together, the detention setting itself can worsen trauma and interfere with normal development.

A former Dilley employee who served in the U.S. Armed Forces also described lasting trauma after working inside the facility. That person said witnessing conditions there caused PTSD symptoms and severe sleep disruption. The former employee stated, “This isn’t what I fought for while in the military.”

Wider problems in Texas detention centers added pressure on ICE

Concern about conditions in Texas extended beyond Dilley.

A Washington Post report in late 2025 said ICE’s own inspectors found at least 60 violations at the Camp East Montana facility soon after it opened. Those findings included significant understaffing.

The broader detention system also faced renewed scrutiny after deaths in custody rose. In 2025, at least 32 people died in ICE custody nationwide, the highest number in two decades.

That number included the death of Geraldo Lunas Campos at the East Montana facility. A medical examiner ruled the death a homicide caused by physical restraint. That finding increased pressure on ICE and contractors over medical staffing, training, use-of-force practices, and accountability.

Advocates also pointed to abuse allegations in other Texas detention settings. A December 2025 ACLU letter detailed 45 interviews alleging physical and sexual abuse at Fort Bliss, including an incident in which a teenager was reportedly beaten by staff after they blocked security cameras.

Those allegations did not involve Dilley directly, but they deepened concerns about oversight across a detention system that relies heavily on private contractors and intergovernmental agreements.

Who is affected most by these allegations

The people most affected are children, infants, pregnant women, and parents in immigration proceedings. Many families in Dilley were not hiding from authorities. Some were appearing for court, attending check-ins, or trying to follow immigration rules when they were taken into custody.

That reality matters because it changes how many readers understand family detention. These are not only recent border arrivals. The reported detainee population also includes people with community ties, existing cases, and family relationships in the United States.

What you should document if a family member is detained in Texas

If your relative reports unsafe conditions, document every detail as quickly as possible. Good records help attorneys, advocates, and oversight offices act faster.

1. Write down the date, time, and location of each incident.
2. Record the name and title of every staff member involved.
3. List what the family member asked for, such as a medical visit, clean water, prescription refill, or grievance form.
4. Ask for a copy or receipt of any grievance that was filed.
5. Keep a clear timeline for the attorney or advocate handling the case.

This is especially important when the problem involves children, medication, contagious illness, injury, or threats to safety. A dated timeline often becomes the strongest record of what happened.

Official places to monitor detention conditions and policy changes

If you are tracking conditions at Dilley or Karnes, start with official agency pages and compare them with court filings, attorney declarations, and inspection findings over the same period.

• ICE Newsroom and Statements for agency responses and operational updates
• South Texas Family Residential Center information page for Dilley facility details
• Karnes County Immigration Processing Center information page for the Karnes facility
• DHS Office of Inspector General reports for audits, inspections, and oversight findings

For families with someone currently detained, the next step is practical and urgent: create a written incident log today, request copies of medical records and grievances, and give that timeline to the family’s attorney immediately. When a child is sick, missing medication, or held in unsafe conditions, same-day documentation can shape medical intervention, court action, and release requests.