A two-year-old boy detained in a family detention centre in Dilley, Texas, is sick and not receiving adequate medical care, according to Democratic Congressman Joaquin Castro. The child, Kaleth, has a fever and is refusing to eat food served at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility, which detainees have complained contains mould and worms.
Castro wrote on social media that when the boy's mother requested help, staff dismissed her concerns as 'mental'. He called the situation 'shameful' and demanded Kaleth and his mother Joani be released immediately. The Dilley facility, formally known as the South Texas Family Residential Center, has faced criticism for poor conditions, including reports of unclean water, sleep deprivation, and inadequate hygiene supplies.
The centre is run by private prison company CoreCivic, which expects to earn $180 million annually from the contract through 2030. In February, two measles cases were reported at the facility. CoreCivic has denied allegations of unclean water, stating that healthcare is available to all detainees.
Castro has long called for the centre to be shut down, describing it as a 'trailer prison' where investors profit from the suffering of innocent children. A court filing from September detailed a 'prison-like environment' where guards refer to detainees as 'inmates' despite them not being criminals.
