An uprising involving approximately 1,000 detained immigrants, many of them children, occurred at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas on Saturday. Participants were heard chanting “Libertad” and “Let us go,” according to attorney Eric Lee, who witnessed the event.
Protest Follows Reopening of Facility
The South Texas Family Residential Center had previously closed in 2024, but was reopened by the Trump administration earlier this year to detain immigrant families. The protest began, according to reports from Lee’s clients, in response to the detention and treatment of Liam Conejo Ramos, a 5-year-old from Minnesota, and his father by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
School officials reported that an adult at Liam’s home pleaded with ICE agents to allow the child to remain, and that Liam was allegedly used as “bait” by agents in an attempt to encourage others to exit the home willingly. The father and son were transferred to the Dilley facility shortly after being detained.
Conditions at the Facility
On Saturday, facility personnel ordered immigration attorneys present to leave, citing “an incident.” Michigan-based attorney Eric Lee, who was among those asked to leave, reported hearing “high-pitched” and “urgent” shouting, leading him to believe “hundreds of children” were involved. Lee described the conditions at the facility as “horrible,” noting the drinking water is “putrid” and the food contains “bugs,” dirt, and other contaminants.
Aerial photographs taken by The Associated Press show parents and children holding signs reading “Libertad para los niños,” or “Freedom for the kids.” Maria Alejandra Montoya Sanchez, a detainee at the facility with her 9-year-old daughter since October, stated, “The message we want to send is for them to treat us with dignity and according to the law. We’re immigrants, with children, not criminals.”
Lee shared videos on social media documenting the uprising, including sounds of children screaming and guards instructing him to leave the area. He reported that approximately 80 percent of the detained population – over 1,000 people – were participating in the demonstration, and that gates within the facility were closed to contain the protest.
Possible Next Steps
The situation at the South Texas Family Residential Center could escalate if demands for improved conditions and legal processing are not addressed. It is possible that authorities will increase security measures at the facility. The protest may also inspire similar actions at other detention centers. Further legal challenges to the conditions of detention could also be anticipated.
Frequently Asked Questions
What prompted the uprising at the South Texas Family Residential Center?
The protest began in response to the detention and treatment of Liam Conejo Ramos, a 5-year-old from Minnesota, and his father by ICE agents, according to reports from attorney Eric Lee’s clients.
How many people were involved in the uprising?
Approximately 1,000 immigrants detained at the facility participated in the protest, with attorney Eric Lee believing “hundreds of children” were involved.
What are the conditions like inside the facility, according to those present?
Attorney Eric Lee described the conditions as “horrible,” stating the drinking water is “putrid” and the food contains “bugs,” dirt, and other contaminants.
What further action will be taken by those detained at the facility, and what impact will this have on the broader immigration debate?
