DILLEY, TX — Yesterday, Representative Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03) conducted a congressional oversight visit to the Dilley Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Detention Center alongside Representative Joaquin Castro (TX-20) and members of the Democratic Women’s Caucus, FWD.us and Families Belong Together calling for the immediate release of the women, children, and families detained at the facility and urging DHS to permanently close Dilley.
“What we saw today at Dilley was nothing short of horrific. No child, woman, or family should be locked up like this. We must close Dilley now and release these families,” said Rep. Ansari. “Children are being jailed and traumatized while private contractors profit from it, all at the expense of American taxpayers.”
“The inhumane conditions at Dilley are well-documented and we must end family detention. This includes shutting down Dilley and releasing these children and families immediately. Dilley lacks basic necessities for anyone, especially children: no access to clean water, medical care, or proper education. Dilley reflects a broader pattern that should not be expanded with additional, unprecedented taxpayer funding,” said Todd Schulte, President of FWD.us. “Yet, Congress has committed more than $260 billion to expand enforcement, on top of the regular appropriations to ICE and CBP of roughly $30 billion for FY25. This will only cause irreparable harm to children and communities. Thank you to the Members who continue to call for the release of families and we join them in their calls for Dilley’s closure.”
This marked Ansari’s twelfth congressional oversight visit to an ICE detention facility. In Congress, she has led efforts to hold the Trump Administration accountable, exposing conditions inside ICE facilities and introducing legislation to repeal the $75 billion ICE funding increase included in the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill.”
Click HERE for a recording of the press conference.
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