The Immigrant Families Jailed in Texas
Under the renewed Trump administration immigration strategy, ICE has resumed the controversial practice of family detention, utilizing Texas facilities in Karnes and Dilley to hold immigrant families and children. Unlike previous years, these raids now target long-term residents and families attempting to seek asylum in Canada rather than just recent border crossers. RAICES, a prominent immigration legal-services nonprofit, is actively involved. Javier Hidalgo of RAICES, and other advocates, including those from Children's Rights, have criticized the systemic cruelty of child incarceration, noting that such environments cause psychological trauma and often bypass the protections established by the Flores settlement. While the government characterizes these sites as "residential centers," advocates describe them as private-prison jails that inflict long-term damage on child development and serve as a deterrent against those seeking protection in the U.S.
