We’re sharing letters and drawings from eight children who have been held at the same detention center that 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos was recently released from. A photo of Liam, who was detained with his father in Minneapolis while wearing a Spider-Man backpack and a blue bunny hat, went viral on social media and triggered widespread condemnation. Hundreds of other children are still being held there.
The children whose letters and drawings we’re publishing range in age from 5 to 17. In the letters, kids told us about missing their friends, being unable to go to school and feeling trapped.
One 9-year-old was detained on her way to Disney World: “When I arrived every night I cried. … I felt that being here was my fault and I only wanted to be on vacation like a normal family,” she wrote.
The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, said in a statement that all detainees at Dilley are “being provided with proper medical care.” DHS did not respond to questions about individual detainees but said all “are provided with 3 meals a day, clean water, clothing, bedding, showers, soap, and toiletries” and that “certified dieticians evaluate meals.” DHS also said “children have access to teachers, classrooms, and curriculum booklets for math, reading, and spelling.” Detained parents are given the option for their families to be deported together, or they can have their children placed with another caregiver, the statement said. CoreCivic, which operates the facility, said it is subject to multiple layers of oversight and that health and safety are a top priority.
