Calls are growing to shut down a major immigration detention centre in Dilley, Texas, after at least two cases of measles were confirmed there. The facility, which holds children and their parents, is run by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Democratic Congressman Joaquin Castro has demanded the centre be 'shut down immediately', arguing it is not equipped to handle the spread of measles. 'Children and families, who have committed no crime, should not be suffering and do not belong in prison,' he said on X.
The outbreak comes amid a surge in measles cases across the United States. In January alone, the US saw 25% of the total cases confirmed in all of last year. South Carolina has reported 876 cases and at least 18 hospitalisations, while Arizona and Utah have also seen significant spread.
Experts warn that detention centres can become 'epidemic engines' that accelerate the spread of viruses. Eric Reinhart, a political anthropologist and psychiatrist, described them as 'factories for manufacturing virus at incredible scale'. Poor conditions, including close quarters and limited healthcare, make such facilities particularly vulnerable.
The Texas Department of State Health Services said it is assisting by providing measles vaccines as requested by ICE. However, no national vaccination campaigns have been announced, and federal officials, including Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, have remained silent on the issue.
Jason Bowling, a professor of infectious diseases at UT Health San Antonio, described the outbreak as 'frightening' and 'very worrisome'. Anna-Kathryn Burch, a paediatric infectious disease specialist, warned that the spread could continue wherever vaccination rates are low, adding: 'It's not a matter of if, but more likely when.'
