Children's Drawings Expose Trauma in Texas ICE Detention Centre
Heartbreaking drawings created by three young children held at a Texas Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility have been shared by lawyers, revealing the profound psychological impact of prolonged detention. The documents, part of a trove released by legal representatives, include captions such as "I miss my bear" and "When we will go home?" alongside images depicting the family's confinement.
Family Alleges Severe Mistreatment and Medical Neglect
The El Gamal family, consisting of mother Hayam El Gamal and her five children aged 5 to 18, have been in federal custody since June 2025 at the Dilley, Texas facility operated by CoreCivic. This represents the longest detention of any family since the centre reopened under the Trump administration, despite a federal settlement that generally limits such detentions to 20 days for parents and children.
According to attorney Eric Lee, who represents the family, "The most powerful adults in the world are subjecting the El Gamal children to systematic abuse for nine months and counting. It is farcical that the United States calls itself a democracy when the federal government deliberately ruins childhoods and strips young people of their innocence."
Medical Complaints Dismissed and Psychological Damage Documented
The family alleges multiple instances of medical neglect during their detention. Mother Hayam El Gamal reports being denied comprehensive scans for a "weird bump" under her rib cage despite a doctor's referral and family history of cancer, receiving only Ibuprofen instead. Their 16-year-old child, identified as O.S., wrote in a letter: "This prolonged detention has and continues to destroy our lives. It is slowly killing us on the inside. Our mental health is at great risk."
Psychological impacts are particularly severe among the younger children. One of the 5-year-old twins experiences recurring nightmares about being chased but unable to escape due to gates and fences, while another child has begun wetting himself. The family also claims their food has contained mold and worms on multiple occasions.
Connection to Colorado Attack and Immigration Status
The family entered the United States in August 2022 on a six-month tourist visa and applied for asylum the following month. Their detention began shortly after Hayam El Gamal's husband, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, allegedly attacked a group of mostly Jewish activists in Boulder, Colorado in June 2025. The attack wounded at least 29 people and resulted in the death of an 82-year-old woman from her injuries.
While Soliman has pleaded not guilty in state court, the El Gamal family has disavowed his actions and claims they were unaware of his alleged crimes. They assert they are being "punished" for his actions despite their renunciation of his behaviour.
Broader Context of ICE Detention Under Scrutiny
The Dilley facility has faced increased scrutiny throughout the year, particularly after the case of 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos, whose arrest in Minneapolis during winter while wearing a Spider-Man backpack sparked national outrage and protests. More recently, the facility experienced a spate of measles cases that required quarantine measures.
Under the current administration, the number of children in ICE detention has increased more than sixfold since the president took office, according to analysis by the Marshall Project. This expansion has been accompanied by persistent allegations of poor treatment at detention centres nationwide.
Tragically, twenty-three people have died in ICE custody since October, putting this fiscal year on track to be the deadliest in more than two decades according to NPR analysis. The El Gamal family's documents have been submitted to the US Senate Committee on the Judiciary as evidence of systemic problems within the immigration detention system.
