ProPublica published handwritten letters and drawings from children detained at the Dilley family immigration center in Texas. Children as young as five describe months of confinement, missed school, repeated illnesses, and pleas to be released. Officials say detainees receive care and oversight, but the notes convey clear distress and urgency.
“Please Get Me Out of Here”: Handwritten Letters From Children at Dilley Family Detention Center
Handwritten notes from children detained at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in Texas — published by ProPublica — offer a vivid, sometimes heartbreaking look at life inside the only U.S. facility that holds families together. The pages were collected in mid-January after reporter Mica Rosenberg asked detained parents whether their children would be willing to write or draw about their experiences; one released detainee carried the letters out of the center on January 20 with parents’ consent.
What the Letters Reveal
Written by youngsters as young as five years old, the letters describe prolonged confinement, missed school, persistent illness, worries about medical care, and deep emotional distress. Many children said they had been living in the United States for years before their detention. ProPublica reported that more than 750 families were being held at Dilley earlier this month.
“I miss my school and my friends I feel bad since when I came here to this Place, because I have been here too long,”
— Susej F., 9, detained for about 50 days.
“Since I got to this Center all you will feel is sadness and mostly depression.”
— Ariana V. V., 14.
Several children described repeated illnesses and what they saw as insufficient medical attention. Twelve-year-old Ender wrote that visits to the doctor often resulted only in advice to drink more water — and that, he said, the water itself seemed to be making people sick.
One five-year-old produced a solemn drawing titled “Mi familia.” Nine-year-old Maria Antonia Guerra Montoya, who ProPublica reported had been detained for 113 days, wrote plainly:
“Me in dilei [sic] am not happy please get me out of here to colombia.”
Official Responses
The Department of Homeland Security told ProPublica that detainees receive appropriate medical care, meals, education and basic necessities, and said families can choose to remain together or separate during deportation proceedings. CoreCivic, the company that operates the Dilley facility, said the center is subject to multiple layers of oversight.
Why It Matters
These letters are a rare primary account from children living in immigration detention. They have renewed public scrutiny of family detention practices, medical care inside facilities, and the emotional impact of prolonged confinement on children. ProPublica has published images and full transcripts of the letters online for public review.
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