{"id":199290,"date":"2026-03-11T11:16:34","date_gmt":"2026-03-11T15:16:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tetrabulletin.com\/?p=199290"},"modified":"2026-03-11T11:16:34","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T15:16:34","slug":"parents-describe-a-clampdown-at-dilley-detention-center-as-kids-shared-their-stories-propublica","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tetrabulletin.com\/?p=199290","title":{"rendered":"Parents Describe a Clampdown at Dilley Detention Center as Kids Shared Their Stories \u2014 ProPublica"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> [ad_1]<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-propublica-iframe bb--size-small-right\">\n<p>\n\t\t<iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/iframe.propublica.net\/iframe\/8438810e-6ffb-4da3-942c-ab6c97bcb8cd?width=752&amp;height=423\" id=\"iframe-8438810e-6ffb-4da3-942c-ab6c97bcb8cd\" width=\"752\" height=\"423\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" class=\"iframe-embed\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>When guards appeared earlier this month outside the room Christian Hinojosa shared with her son and other women and children at the immigrant detention center in Dilley, Texas, she guessed what they might be after. She quickly donned her puffy winter jacket, then slipped a manila envelope inside it. \u201cThank God the weather was cool,\u201d she said \u2014 the jacket didn\u2019t raise suspicions.<\/p>\n<p>Then, she said, she was instructed to leave the room while eight to 10 guards lifted up mattresses, opened drawers and rifled through papers. In the envelope were kids\u2019 writings and artwork about life in America\u2019s only detention facility for immigrant families, a collection of trailers and dormitories in the brush country south of San Antonio. She planned to share their letters with the outside world.<\/p>\n<p>Guards have taken away crayons, colored pencils and drawing paper during recent room searches at Dilley, according to Hinojosa and three other former detainees, along with lawyers and advocates in contact with the families inside.<\/p>\n<p>Guards have taken artwork, too, they said \u2014 even one child\u2019s drawing of Bratz fashion dolls.<\/p>\n<p>They said detainees have lost access to Gmail and other Google services in the Dilley library amid stepped up searches, seizures and restrictions on communications, making it more difficult for them to contact lawyers and advocates.<\/p>\n<p>They and family members said guards sometimes hover within earshot during detainees\u2019 video calls to relatives and reporters.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-propublica-lead-in\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-we-are-kidnapped-help\">\u201cWe Are Kidnapped Help!\u201d<\/h3>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-propublica-position-medium bb--size-medium\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" js-autosizes=\"\" height=\"973\" width=\"752\" src=\"https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-Mathias-tinted-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?w=752\" alt=\"A handwritten letter with a drawing of a stick figure behind a lattice of bars.\" class=\"wp-image-68756\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-Mathias-tinted-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg 2318w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-Mathias-tinted-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=232,300 232w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-Mathias-tinted-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=768,994 768w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-Mathias-tinted-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=791,1024 791w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-Mathias-tinted-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1187,1536 1187w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-Mathias-tinted-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1582,2048 1582w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-Mathias-tinted-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=863,1117 863w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-Mathias-tinted-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=422,546 422w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-Mathias-tinted-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=552,714 552w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-Mathias-tinted-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=558,722 558w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-Mathias-tinted-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=527,682 527w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-Mathias-tinted-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=752,973 752w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-Mathias-tinted-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1149,1487 1149w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-Mathias-tinted-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1236,1600 1236w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-Mathias-tinted-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=400,518 400w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-Mathias-tinted-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=800,1035 800w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-Mathias-tinted-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1200,1553 1200w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-Mathias-tinted-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1600,2071 1600w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-Mathias-tinted-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=2000,2588 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 752px) 100vw, 752px\"\/><figcaption class=\"attribution\"><span class=\"attribution__caption\">Seven-year-old Mathias Bermeo, a detainee at Dilley wrote: \u201cI\u2019m writing this letter so that you can hear my story. I need you to help us I have been detained for 23 days with my mom and my 3-year-old sister.\u00a0I cry a lot I want to get out of here go back to my school they don\u2019t treat us Well here there are many children we are kidnapped help!\u201d<\/span> <span class=\"attribution__credit\">Obtained by ProPublica. Alien Registration Number redacted by ProPublica.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>The detainees and others interviewed for this story said these measures increased after the Jan. 22 arrival of Liam Conejo Ramos, a 5-year-old in a blue bunny hat, sparked protests and congressional visits. They said the clampdown intensified as children and parents at Dilley <a href=\"https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/article\/ice-dilley-children-letters\">wrote letters to share with the public<\/a> and reporters and relatives <a href=\"https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/article\/life-inside-ice-dilley-children\">recorded video calls with the detainees<\/a>, including those published by ProPublica this month. The children\u2019s stories, many told in their own words, fueled an outcry over the scope of the Trump administration\u2019s deportation campaign, which the president had promised would focus on criminals.<\/p>\n<p>The detainees said the more they tried to make their voices heard, the more difficult it became.<\/p>\n<p>One mother, who asked to remain anonymous because her immigration case is still pending, told ProPublica that she and her three kids watched through a window as guards swept through their room in late January, removing drawings from the walls and placing colored pencils and crayons in plastic bags before taking them away.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>With little schooling available at Dilley and weather too chilly for kids to want to play outdoors, drawing had been the children\u2019s main diversion, the former detainee said. \u201cWhat were they going to do now?\u201d she said. \u201cThey were so bored.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>After the room inspection, the woman said, the children just \u201ccried and cried and cried.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-propublica-lead-in\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-propublica-position-medium\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" js-autosizes=\"\" height=\"973\" width=\"752\" src=\"https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-hand-cat-tinted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?w=752\" alt=\"A handwritten letter with two drawings: an outline of a hand with a frowning face and a cat.\" class=\"wp-image-68754\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-hand-cat-tinted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg 2318w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-hand-cat-tinted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=232,300 232w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-hand-cat-tinted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=768,994 768w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-hand-cat-tinted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=791,1024 791w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-hand-cat-tinted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1187,1536 1187w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-hand-cat-tinted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1582,2048 1582w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-hand-cat-tinted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=863,1117 863w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-hand-cat-tinted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=422,546 422w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-hand-cat-tinted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=552,714 552w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-hand-cat-tinted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=558,722 558w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-hand-cat-tinted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=527,682 527w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-hand-cat-tinted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=752,973 752w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-hand-cat-tinted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1149,1487 1149w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-hand-cat-tinted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1236,1600 1236w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-hand-cat-tinted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=400,518 400w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-hand-cat-tinted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=800,1035 800w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-hand-cat-tinted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1200,1553 1200w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-hand-cat-tinted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1600,2071 1600w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-hand-cat-tinted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=2000,2588 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 752px) 100vw, 752px\"\/><figcaption class=\"attribution\"><span class=\"attribution__caption\">A detainee at Dilley wrote, \u201cI feel bad being here! Bad because I can\u2019t because I can\u2019t see my pet willi and I can\u2019t eat what I want and I can\u2019t see my friends from school and at home.\u201d<\/span> <span class=\"attribution__credit\">Obtained by ProPublica<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>CoreCivic, the private prison company that runs the Dilley facility for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said in a written statement that routine inspections of living facilities are a common practice and that detainees are informed of what items they are allowed to have in their rooms.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe vehemently deny any claims that our staff have confiscated or destroyed children\u2019s personal artwork or their related supplies,\u201d the statement reads, adding that there are examples of kids\u2019 artwork \u201cproudly displayed\u201d throughout the facility.<\/p>\n<p>The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, said in a statement that \u201cICE is not destroying children\u2019s letters,\u201d but the agency acknowledged that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/DU3xKwACTS0\/\">in one case<\/a> \u201call the written items in the cell were seized\u201d as part of an investigation of a mother who DHS said refused to comply with a search and pushed a detention center employee. CoreCivic referred questions to DHS when asked about this incident. ProPublica was unable to reach the mother for comment.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This week, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dhs.gov\/news\/2026\/02\/24\/dhs-sets-record-straight-about-ice-dilley-facility-debunks-falsehoods\">DHS issued press releases<\/a> that it said were \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ice.gov\/news\/releases\/debunking-mainstream-media-lies-about-south-texas-family-residential-center-dilley\">correcting the record\u201d<\/a> about Dilley, saying \u201cadults with children are housed in facilities that provide for their safety, security, and medical needs.\u201d DHS\u2019 and CoreCivic\u2019s statements to ProPublica did not answer questions about Google services being blocked or whether guards listen in on Dilley detainees\u2019 calls.<\/p>\n<p>U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, a Texas Democrat, visited Dilley after Liam and his father, both originally from Ecuador, were picked up in Minnesota and transferred in January. He went again last week and was asked at a Friday news conference about reports of children\u2019s letters and drawings being suppressed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI believe those stories, because I\u2019ve heard similar stories myself,\u201d Castro said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>He said he\u2019d been told repeatedly that guards had warned detainees not to talk to him. \u201cYes, I think there\u2019s a lot of secrecy there,\u201d Castro said.<\/p>\n<p>DHS did not respond when asked to comment on Castro\u2019s assertion about the guards. A CoreCivic spokesperson said, \u201cWe are not aware of any staff member warning residents not to speak with Rep. Castro.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-propublica-lead-in\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-i-feel-bored-here\">\u201cI Feel Bored Here\u201d<\/h3>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-propublica-position-medium bb--size-medium\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" js-autosizes=\"\" height=\"581\" width=\"752\" src=\"https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-justin-floorplan-tinted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?w=752\" alt=\"A drawing of a room with a door, windows, television, couch, three people and a telephone on the wall. Labels are in Spanish.\" class=\"wp-image-68755\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-justin-floorplan-tinted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg 3000w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-justin-floorplan-tinted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=300,232 300w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-justin-floorplan-tinted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=768,593 768w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-justin-floorplan-tinted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1024,791 1024w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-justin-floorplan-tinted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1536,1187 1536w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-justin-floorplan-tinted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=2048,1582 2048w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-justin-floorplan-tinted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=863,667 863w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-justin-floorplan-tinted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=422,326 422w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-justin-floorplan-tinted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=552,427 552w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-justin-floorplan-tinted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=558,431 558w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-justin-floorplan-tinted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=527,407 527w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-justin-floorplan-tinted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=752,581 752w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-justin-floorplan-tinted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1149,888 1149w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-justin-floorplan-tinted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=2000,1545 2000w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-justin-floorplan-tinted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=400,309 400w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-justin-floorplan-tinted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=800,618 800w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-justin-floorplan-tinted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1200,927 1200w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-justin-floorplan-tinted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1600,1236 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 752px) 100vw, 752px\"\/><figcaption class=\"attribution\"><span class=\"attribution__caption\">Justin Lopez created what appears to be a floorplan of a room inside Dilley, with labels for windows, couch, television and phone.<\/span> <span class=\"attribution__credit\">Obtained by ProPublica<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n<p>The Dilley Immigration Processing Center first opened during the Obama administration primarily to hold families that had just crossed the border. Then Biden ended the practice of detaining families in 2021. President Donald Trump restarted it even as border crossings in his second term hit record lows. Now ICE is ramping up immigration arrests inside the country, and Dilley holds many families who have been living in the United States for years.<\/p>\n<p>The families spend their days behind a metal fence, sleeping in rooms that hold six bunk beds and a common area with a few small tables and desks. More than 3,500 people have cycled through the detention center since the Trump administration began sending families here last spring.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-hear-christian-hinojosa-in-her-own-words-it-s-not-only-about-me-it-s-about-my-kid\">Hear Christian Hinojosa in Her Own Words: \u201cIt\u2019s Not Only About Me. It\u2019s About My Kid.\u201d<\/h3>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-video\"><video controls=\"\" poster=\"https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/final-poster-image-Christian-and-Gustavo_English-Captioning_v1-0-00-01-01_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Christian-and-Gustavo_English-Captioning_FINAL.mp4\" playsinline=\"\"\/><figcaption class=\"attribution\"><span class=\"attribution__caption\">Christian Hinojosa and her son Gustavo speak with ProPublica reporter Mica Rosenberg from inside Dilley on Feb. 2.<\/span> <span class=\"attribution__credit\">Mica Rosenberg\/ProPublica<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<p>A ProPublica reporter who had been speaking with families at Dilley since late last year went to the center for an in-person visit in mid-January and asked families whether their children would want to write about their experiences. On Jan. 22, we received a packet of colorful drawings and handwritten letters from a detainee who had been recently released, which we later published.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Then on Jan. 24<em>, <\/em>dozens of detainees staged <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/texas-immigration-detention-7fa98244c1b0245deb4462e9dc25292f\">a mass protest<\/a> in the yard, which was photographed from above, where they yelled \u201clibertad\u201d and held up hand-drawn signs. The signs were made using the detention center\u2019s art supplies, former detainees said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>That protest and Liam\u2019s detention triggered widespread media coverage and a visit by Castro, who arrived on Jan 28. Supporters gathered outside Dilley, and some clashed with state troopers. At the beginning of February, Liam and his father were released, and ProPublica published the letters it had received.\u00a0 By that time, it had become clear to detainees that their voices \u2014 especially children\u2019s voices \u2014 had gotten broad public attention.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>They kept writing.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe were looking for help,\u201d said Hinojosa, who collected letters at ProPublica\u2019s request. \u201cWe were looking to be heard.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Hinojosa, along with her 13-year-old son, Gustavo, both originally from Mexico, were released in early February after four months at Dilley to return home to San Antonio. (Although a 1990s legal settlement holds that children should generally not be detained for\u00a0 more than 20 days, DHS has said the settlement should be terminated because newer regulations have addressed the needs of child detainees.)<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy parents say it\u2019s been 4 months but for me and my little sister,\u201d a 9-year-old wrote in one of the letters Hinojosa gathered. \u201cIt feels like a year I just want to go to the United States to be with my grandparents and finally end this nightmare.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m writing this letter so that you can hear my story,\u201d a 7-year-old wrote in another of the letters. \u201cI need you to help us \u2026 I cry a lot. I want to get out of here go back to my school.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI see how they treat us like criminals,\u201d wrote Edison, a seventh grader from Chicago who was born in Guatemala, \u201cand we\u2019re not.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-propublica-lead-in\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-we-are-not-criminals\">\u201cWe Are Not Criminals\u201d<\/h3>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-propublica-position-medium\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" js-autosizes=\"\" height=\"1063\" width=\"752\" src=\"https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-dianna-tinted-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?w=752\" alt=\"A handwritten letter with four frowning faces at the bottom.\" class=\"wp-image-68750\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-dianna-tinted-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg 2122w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-dianna-tinted-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=212,300 212w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-dianna-tinted-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=768,1086 768w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-dianna-tinted-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=724,1024 724w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-dianna-tinted-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1086,1536 1086w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-dianna-tinted-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1449,2048 1449w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-dianna-tinted-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=863,1220 863w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-dianna-tinted-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=422,597 422w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-dianna-tinted-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=552,780 552w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-dianna-tinted-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=558,789 558w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-dianna-tinted-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=527,745 527w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-dianna-tinted-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=752,1063 752w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-dianna-tinted-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1149,1624 1149w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-dianna-tinted-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1132,1600 1132w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-dianna-tinted-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=400,566 400w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-dianna-tinted-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=800,1131 800w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-dianna-tinted-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1200,1697 1200w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-dianna-tinted-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1600,2262 1600w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/letters-dianna-tinted-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=2000,2828 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 752px) 100vw, 752px\"\/><figcaption class=\"attribution\"><span class=\"attribution__caption\">While detained at Dilley, 7-year old Diana wrote: \u201cI lived in oregon We were detained in a hospital parking lot I feel bad because I miss my stuffed animals I don\u2019t want to be here and I miss my friends and also miss my teacher and my house and my bed. we are not criminals I\u2019m a very pretty girl.\u201d<\/span> <span class=\"attribution__credit\">Obtained by ProPublica. Alien Registration Number redacted by ProPublica.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>CoreCivic said that Dilley residents are given a written description of property they\u2019re allowed to have in their living areas, and that decorating rooms with personal items is permitted \u201cprovided they do not present a health or safety hazard.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Former detainees told ProPublica they experienced room searches before January but that they typically were carried out by just two employees at a time, not eight or more.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>After guards searched Hinojosa\u2019s room following the protest, she said, she and the other residents were unable to locate their colored pencils, which were purchased at the commissary and stored in a little cup atop the writing table where the kids liked to doodle. \u201cEven knowing that we had paid for those ourselves,\u201d she said, \u201cthey removed them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere were many, many families whose children had their pencils and what they created thrown away,\u201d said a third mother, who also asked to remain anonymous because of her immigration status.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-propublica-lead-in\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-i-just-want-to-finally-end-this-nightmare\">\u201cI Just Want to \u2026 Finally End This Nightmare\u201d<\/h3>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-propublica-position-medium\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" js-autosizes=\"\" height=\"872\" width=\"752\" src=\"https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SG-crop-valentina-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?w=752\" alt=\"A handwritten letter with a drawing of four people trapped behind bars.\" class=\"wp-image-68760\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SG-crop-valentina-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg 2160w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SG-crop-valentina-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=259,300 259w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SG-crop-valentina-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=768,890 768w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SG-crop-valentina-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=883,1024 883w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SG-crop-valentina-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1325,1536 1325w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SG-crop-valentina-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1767,2048 1767w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SG-crop-valentina-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=863,1000 863w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SG-crop-valentina-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=422,489 422w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SG-crop-valentina-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=552,640 552w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SG-crop-valentina-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=558,647 558w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SG-crop-valentina-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=527,611 527w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SG-crop-valentina-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=752,872 752w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SG-crop-valentina-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1149,1332 1149w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SG-crop-valentina-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1380,1600 1380w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SG-crop-valentina-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=400,464 400w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SG-crop-valentina-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=800,927 800w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SG-crop-valentina-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1200,1391 1200w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SG-crop-valentina-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1600,1855 1600w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SG-crop-valentina-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=2000,2319 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 752px) 100vw, 752px\"\/><figcaption class=\"attribution\"><span class=\"attribution__caption\">Nine-year-old Valentina wrote: \u201cI have been detained for a long time. My parents say it\u2019s been 4 months but for me and my little sister Jireth it feels like a year I just want to go to the United States to be with my grandparents and finally end this nightmare that my family has had to live through, I feel like I\u2019ve had the worst days of my life I want God to help us get out of here so we can be happy again and study together as a family. Please help us and our parents get out of here thank you.\u201d<\/span> <span class=\"attribution__credit\">Obtained by ProPublica. Alien Registration Number redacted by ProPublica.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Former detainees and their family members described close attention by guards during calls home, some of which happened via tablet computers in a common area.<\/p>\n<p>Edison, the 13-year-old Chicago seventh grader, cried during a recent video call home that his father shared with ProPublica, saying he felt locked up.<\/p>\n<p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-seventh-grader-edison-shares-his-struggles-in-dilley-with-his-father\">Seventh Grader Edison Shares His Struggles in Dilley with His Father<\/h3>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-video\"><video controls=\"\" poster=\"https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/poster-frame-Edison-English-Captioning_v1-0-00-00-00_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Edison-English-Captioning_v2.mp4\"\/><figcaption class=\"attribution\"><span class=\"attribution__credit\">Obtained by ProPublica<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<p>The father, who asked that his son\u2019s last name not be used, recalled the boy saying before the recording began, \u201cDad, there\u2019s an agent here and he\u2019s watching us.\u201d He said his son sounded panicked.<\/p>\n<p>The mother who said she watched guards sweep her room told ProPublica that after the January protest inside Dilley, a half-dozen guards were posted in a room where calls took place. \u201cEvery time someone came in to make a call,\u201d she said, \u201cthey practically stood behind you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As families held at Dilley continue to try to make themselves heard, Hinojosa and other recently released detainees are determined to help.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Hinojosa carefully protected her fellow residents\u2019 letters and drawings before her release. Every time she left her room, she wore the CoreCivic-issued puffy gray jacket and tucked the drawings and letters inside.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI carried them around with me all day to prevent anyone from taking them,\u201d she told ProPublica. \u201cI knew they were valuable.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Many of the pieces she carried were different from the vibrant paper drawings ProPublica received in January. With paper in short supply, Hinojosa said, children drew pictures on the backs of old artworks. With crayons and colored pencils now scarce, some drew in plain pencil.<\/p>\n<p>Hinojosa walked out of Dilley earlier this month with her son Gustavo and with 34 pages of drawings and letters. They capture the names and lives of dozens of people.<\/p>\n<p>Along with long notes from moms who remain inside are simple sketches by the kids detained with them: a teddy bear. A bus going home. A pet cat named Willi. A family of three stick figures trapped behind a wire fence. A family of six stick figures trapped behind a wire fence. A single small stick figure trapped behind a wire fence. Many of the drawings show faces, and most of the faces are frowning.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-propublica-lead-in\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-i-want-to-leave\">\u201cI Want to Leave\u201d<\/h3>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-propublica-position-medium\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" js-autosizes=\"\" height=\"561\" width=\"752\" src=\"https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SG-crop-me-quiero-ir-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?w=752\" alt=\"A drawing of a bus with passengers.\" class=\"wp-image-68759\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SG-crop-me-quiero-ir-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg 2897w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SG-crop-me-quiero-ir-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=300,224 300w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SG-crop-me-quiero-ir-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=768,573 768w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SG-crop-me-quiero-ir-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1024,763 1024w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SG-crop-me-quiero-ir-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1536,1145 1536w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SG-crop-me-quiero-ir-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=2048,1527 2048w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SG-crop-me-quiero-ir-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=863,643 863w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SG-crop-me-quiero-ir-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=422,315 422w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SG-crop-me-quiero-ir-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=552,412 552w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SG-crop-me-quiero-ir-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=558,416 558w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SG-crop-me-quiero-ir-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=527,393 527w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SG-crop-me-quiero-ir-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=752,561 752w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SG-crop-me-quiero-ir-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1149,857 1149w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SG-crop-me-quiero-ir-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=2000,1491 2000w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SG-crop-me-quiero-ir-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=400,298 400w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SG-crop-me-quiero-ir-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=800,596 800w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SG-crop-me-quiero-ir-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1200,895 1200w, https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SG-crop-me-quiero-ir-redacted_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?resize=1600,1193 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 752px) 100vw, 752px\"\/><figcaption class=\"attribution\"><span class=\"attribution__caption\">A handwritten drawing from detained child Elian Ysai Brenes Ch\u00e1vez says, \u201cI want to leave.\u201d<\/span> <span class=\"attribution__credit\">Obtained by ProPublica. Alien Registration Number redacted by ProPublica.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async defer src=\"https:\/\/platform.instagram.com\/en_US\/embeds.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/>[ad_2]<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/article\/dilley-detention-center-kids-art-removal\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[ad_1] When guards appeared earlier this month outside the room Christian Hinojosa shared with her son and other women and children at the immigrant detention center in Dilley, Texas, she guessed what they might be after. She quickly donned her&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":199291,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-199290","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tetrabulletin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/199290","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tetrabulletin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tetrabulletin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tetrabulletin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tetrabulletin.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=199290"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/tetrabulletin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/199290\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tetrabulletin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/199291"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tetrabulletin.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=199290"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tetrabulletin.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=199290"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tetrabulletin.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=199290"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}