Immigrants Facing Brutal Conditions in Detention Centers

Trump administration's policy of mandatory and indefinite detention for immigrants held by ICE and CBP draws criticism

Published on Feb. 15, 2026

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The Trump administration's policy of mandatory and indefinite detention for immigrants held by either ICE or Customs and Border Protection is drawing criticism, with reports of horrific conditions in detention facilities including worms in food, guards shouting orders, and children falling ill with COVID-19 and other illnesses due to neglect. Immigration detention is not a criminal procedure, yet the administration is treating it as a criminal punishment and subjecting detainees to abuse and deprivation.

Why it matters

The rapid expansion of the detention system, along with the administration's clear indifference to the health and safety of detainees, is leading to continued and worsening abuse of the people held in these facilities. There are concerns that the administration is using detention to inflict pain on anyone caught in its grasp, even those with valid asylum claims or legal status, in an effort to pressure them into leaving the country.

The details

Reports from the Dilley Immigration Processing Center and other facilities describe horrific conditions, including worms in food, guards shouting orders and snatching toys from children's hands, lack of medical care leading to serious illnesses, and detainees being forced to sit for hours in blood and feces-soaked clothing. The administration is rapidly expanding its network of detention centers, purchasing warehouses across the country to hold tens of thousands of people.

  • In December 2025, a Venezuelan woman named Kheilin Valero and her 18-month-old daughter Amalia Arrieta were detained after an ICE appointment in El Paso, Texas.
  • Amalia fell ill and was hospitalized for 10 days, diagnosed with COVID-19, RSV, pneumonia and bronchitis due to lack of proper medical care in the detention facility.

The players

Kheilin Valero

A Venezuelan woman who was being held at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center with her 18-month-old daughter Amalia Arrieta.

Amalia Arrieta

Kheilin Valero's 18-month-old daughter who fell ill with COVID-19, RSV, pneumonia and bronchitis while in detention and was hospitalized for 10 days.

Andrea Pitzer

The author of 'One Long Night: A Global History of Concentration Camps' who states that the conditions in the administration's detention facilities meet the definition of a 'concentration camp'.

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What they’re saying

“We left one tyranny and came to another kind of tyranny. Even in Russia, they don't treat children like this.”

— Nikita (NBC News)

“Because she went so many days without treatment, and because it's so cold here, she developed pneumonia and bronchitis. She was malnourished, too, because she was vomiting everything.”

— Kheilin Valero (ProPublica)

The takeaway

The Trump administration's policy of mandatory and indefinite detention for immigrants, coupled with the horrific conditions in detention facilities, represents a disturbing violation of human rights and a betrayal of American values. Urgent action is needed to address this crisis and ensure the humane treatment of all people, regardless of immigration status.