Texas' Dilley ICE Jail Faces Calls to Close After Child Deportation

Calls to shut down the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in South Texas intensified this week following the detention and deportation of 5-year-old Liam Tadeo and his father, Victor Martinez Nieto, to Mexico.

The arrest occurred last week as the pair were traveling to soccer practice in Austin. According to the family's attorney, Martinez Nieto requested that his son be released to his mother during the arrest, but Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reportedly refused. The incident took place just days before Liam was scheduled to begin kindergarten.

Texas Democratic Congressman Joaquin Castro has been a vocal critic of the facility, which he describes as abusive and traumatic for detainees. "You have kids as young as 2 months old who have been in prison there," Castro said. "Every child that’s put in there — every woman, every person — there are American investors who are making money off of their imprisonment."

Federal guidelines stipulate that children should not be held in detention centers for more than 20 days. However, Castro noted that some children have been held for months, including three months, seven months, and even ten months. "This is really abusive, and it’s traumatizing a lot of kids," he stated.

Castro, who has attempted to visit the facility multiple times this year, was denied entry by ICE during his latest effort to meet with Liam and his father. He is scheduled to visit Dilley again today for his ninth inspection of the year.

The congressman also highlighted the case of Maria Garcia, whose son, David, was nominated by Castro to the U.S. Naval Academy. Garcia was taken into custody during a green card review, despite having been granted parole in place. "You’ve got this young man who is serving his country, who absolutely represents the best of us, his mom that was doing everything right," Castro said. "And still, Donald Trump and his administration, with the help of governors like Greg Abbott, are targeting them."

Another recent case involved Luis Manuel Aviles, the father of a U.S. Navy sailor deployed aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. Aviles was detained by ICE in Key West, Florida, but was later released following public outcry. His son, Joshua Aviles, wrote on social media, "This is heartbreaking for me. I don’t know how I can mentally continue working 12+ hour days knowing my dad is somewhere, possibly being treated like a criminal. My dad’s only 'crime' was coming to this country to give my siblings and me a better life."

Castro has joined over 110 Democratic House members in calling for the closure of the Dilley facility, citing concerns over the well-being of detainees and the commercial interests involved. The congressman has also criticized the agency's actions as going beyond acceptable limits, with ICE leadership being accused of operating outside of established guidelines.