Three months ago, Manpreet was looking forward to her 11th birthday party. Her brother Guri, 12, was excited about his class field trip for Black History Month. Now, their future appears uncertain. The siblings and their parents have been detained since February at the Dilley immigration processing center in Texas, after being taken into custody during a routine check-in appointment.
Impact on Children
Their father, Jagdish, worries that months of detention have changed his children. Manpreet is often angry or cranky, while Guri has stopped listening to his parents. “They were never like that before,” Jagdish said. He understands why: “The kids keep spinning on the same questions: ‘what will happen next? When will we get out? Where will we go?’” It hurts that he cannot provide answers.
The family fled Punjab, India, because Jagdish, who converted from Sikhism to Catholicism, faced persistent threats and violence due to his religion. They arrived in the US in 2022 seeking asylum and settled in central Los Angeles. When they received notice to check in at an immigration office, they assumed it was for updated photos. Instead, an immigration officer told them they were being detained. “In that moment, it was like my life force was sucked out of me,” said Gurwinder, their mother.
Conditions at Dilley
They joined over 5,200 parents and children detained at Dilley since it reopened after Donald Trump resumed family detentions last year. Pediatricians and psychiatrists warn that any detention can harm children, and prolonged stays can cause profound physical and mental harm. Reports of conditions at Dilley have sparked protests and national outrage. In February, the Department of Homeland Security imposed quarantines after detecting measles cases. Parents report children suffering respiratory illnesses, gastrointestinal issues, and severe health complications. A nine-month-old lost 8lbs in a month; a child with a severe ear infection suffered partial hearing loss.
In a report this month, Raíces and Human Rights First documented due process violations and lasting harm. Children said they stopped playing because guards yelled at them and stopped attending school because an instructor made them feel scared.
Family's Health and Well-being
Manpreet said she lost at least 6lbs after a week of vomiting. Guri worries he will go “crazy” inside Dilley. He feels sad and bored; they entertain themselves by hitting empty plastic water bottles on each other’s heads. On Manpreet’s birthday, her parents assembled a “cake” from commissary snacks, and everyone sang Happy Birthday. But there were no candles; she would have wished for freedom.
Each family member has been sick since arrival. Jagdish, who had a car accident, experiences leg pain but receives only over-the-counter painkillers. Guri notices blood in his stools but has not been referred to a specialist. Manpreet suffers stomach pain and vomiting, which she attributes to tap water; symptoms eased after she started drinking bottled water from the commissary. Gurwinder’s arthritis has flared; Dilley’s medical center could not provide her usual medications, prescribing ibuprofen and steroids instead. Each morning, Manpreet helps her mother out of bed.
The children have little appetite. Back home, Manpreet enjoyed cooking; now they get mystery meats or unseasoned vegetables. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, the family, practicing Sikh-Hinduism, requires vegetarian meals, but none are available, so they often go hungry.
Education and Daily Life
Manpreet has stopped attending classes; the only class offered for her grade is in Spanish, which she does not understand. Guri attended morning classes but stopped as his mother’s health declined. He watches TV with his father and plays volleyball in the evenings. He gets sad when friends leave: “It makes me think about how I wish we could leave too.”
The daily population of children at Dilley dropped from over 450 in January to about 80 in March. The facility is operated by CoreCivic under a DHS contract. DHS did not respond to specific questions about schooling, food quality, or medical care. CoreCivic’s Ryan Gustin disputed many claims but did not specify which ones.
Broader Context
The US has detained immigrant families for decades. The George W. Bush administration opened the first large-scale facility; the Obama administration opened Dilley in 2014, met with public outrage. Trump continued the practice; Biden ended it in 2021. Studies show profound harm from detention. Jagdish cries, worrying his children will blame him for fleeing India. “I worry I came here to save myself, and I ended up ruining three lives,” he said. Gurwinder feels helpless: “My kids’ lives are being ruined. Their education is being messed up. But we don’t know – what can we do?”
