We Were Accidentally Sent Contract Details for Texas’ Dilley Detention Center. Here’s What We Found.
According to this Houston Chroniclereport, a mistakenly released contract addendum reveals that operating the Dilley Immigration Processing Center—the only active family immigrant detention facility in the U.S.—costs approximately $15.6 million per month under a Trump administration agreement extended through March 2030. This guaranteed monthly payout includes a $13.1 million base rate to private prison operator CoreCivic and $2.5 million for medical services, which is paid out regardless of fluctuations in the actual detainee population. The contract outlines requirements for pediatric care, staffed libraries, private spaces, and schooling across 16 classrooms with certified bilingual educators. However, Faisal Al-Juburi, co-CEO of the nonprofit RAICES, heavily criticized the operation, stating that "core functions at Dilley have been inadequately staffed by CoreCivic, ostensibly to maximize profit margins," and adding, "that is what happens when private prison companies are awarded multibillion-dollar detention contracts funded by taxpayer dollars with minimal and impeded oversight." While CoreCivic, the City of Dilley, and landowner Target Hospitality Group maintain they are fully compliant and staffed, Al-Juburi further noted that since the site reopened in April 2025, RAICES has "documented over 1,500 medical complaints and allegations ranging from weeks-long delays in sufficient care to outright negligence threatening the lives of infants and children with acute and chronic illnesses."
