Children Describe Life Inside ICE Detention Facility in Letters

Rare firsthand accounts from kids held at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in Texas

Published on Feb. 9, 2026

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A new report from ProPublica shares letters and drawings written by children detained at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in South Texas with their parents. In their own words, the kids describe fear, sadness, and the pain of being cut off from school and normal life, writing things like "I miss my school and my friends" and "I don't want to be in this place. I want to go to my school."

Why it matters

The report sheds light on the experiences of children in immigration detention, an issue that has drawn significant attention and controversy in recent years. The letters provide rare firsthand accounts of the mental and emotional toll that detention can have on young people.

The details

According to the investigation, hundreds of families were being held at the Dilley facility in early February, with some children detained for weeks or months. In the letters, kids wrote about feeling depressed, missing teachers and classmates, and struggling when they became sick. One child wrote that being at the facility brought "sadness and mostly depression."

  • The ProPublica report was published on February 9, 2026.

The players

Dilley Immigration Processing Center

An immigration detention facility in South Texas where families, including children from Minnesota, have been held.

Liam Conejo Ramos

A 5-year-old child from Minnesota who was detained at the Dilley facility.

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What’s next

Federal officials stated that detainees receive food, medical care, and educational materials, and that parents can decide whether families are deported together or children are released to other caregivers.

The takeaway

The letters from children detained at the Dilley facility provide a rare and heartbreaking glimpse into the experiences of young people in immigration detention, highlighting the emotional and mental toll it can take on them.