Immigration authorities are detaining hundreds of children for longer than the 20 days allowed by a federal judge, a Scripps News investigation has learned.
Scripps News obtained a document filed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement under a federal court order that shows more than 600 juveniles held in ICE custody at some point in July.
The children are being arrested and detained with their families while going through lengthy deportation proceedings. Many of the juveniles end up at the South Texas Family Residential Center, a sprawling site located in Dilley, Texas, that reopened in March.
The detention center is owned and operated by CoreCivic, a for-profit company contracting with ICE to hold immigrants.
Since 1997, the Flores Settlement Agreement has limited the duration of ICE detention for migrant children to a maximum of 20 days. In 2015, a federal judge expanded the settlement to include immigrant children held with their parents.
The ICE record reviewed by Scripps News lists more than 300 migrant children locked up in Dilley beyond the 20-day maximum. One child was detained there for 89 days.
“As for ICE, the Court remains concerned regarding its compliance with the Flores Settlement Agreement,” U.S. District Judge Dolly Gee wrote on Sept. 26.
Becky Wolozin, attorney at the National Center for Youth Law, visited detainees at Dilley in September and was part of a complaint submitted in federal court objecting to the long stays of children in a “prison-like environment.”
“We've been raising a lot of concerns now for months and months,” Wolozin said. “It's really hard for kids. Kids are really scared the whole time.”
ICE defends the treatment of children in its custody, but in a court filing obtained by Scripps News, children and parents held at Dilley complained about a lack of adequate health care and hygiene products, as well as tap water that “has a bad taste.”
“We have all been feeling stomach aches, especially when we drink the water,” a 13-year-old said in the filing, where children also talk about poor sleep because the lights in bunk rooms are constantly on.
The CoreCivic website features a video tour of the Dilley facility, showing outdoor recreation areas for kids. But the children said the Texas sun often makes it too hot to go outside.
"There is not much to do here," one 14-year-old wrote in the filing. The teen, who has been at Dilley for 54 days, indicated there is not much education. "I don't go to the school. It's just one hour per day.”
A 13-year-old claimed: “There is a one-hour window for 6th to 8th grades. I went once but no other kids were there. They just give worksheets or things to draw.”
An 11-year-old asked: “My main question is when can I get out of here?”
CoreCivic responded to detailed questions submitted by Scripps News with a statement.
“It is important to know that CoreCivic is committed to delivering a high standard of care to every individual in our ICE-contracted facilities,” the statement said. “All our immigration facilities operate with a significant amount of oversight and accountability.”
In its own court filing, ICE said detainees have access to filtered water, dietitian-approved meals and snacks that include child-friendly options, and “robust” medical and mental health care.
“ICE ensures the safety, care, and well-being of alien children in its custody,” the record filed Sept. 8 reads.
Gee has ordered ICE to explain by Nov. 3 why so many children are held beyond 20 days.
