Children's Drawings from Texas ICE Facility Released After Lawsuit
In February, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confiscated 91 pages of drawings and messages from children at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in South Texas, where kids as young as nine expressed their desire for help in both Spanish and English. Following a lawsuit filed by podcast host Allison Gill in March for access to these documents, ICE has recently released scans of nine of the original pages. This poignant disclosure highlights the challenges faced by young detainees and raises significant concerns regarding ICE’s transparency, as Gill continues to advocate for the legal rights of immigrant children.
Key facts
- ICE seized 91 pages of drawings and messages from children at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in February.
- The children's messages include pleas for legal aid and to be released from detention.
- One message reads: 'I am nine years old. Can you help me get out of this jail? We are children, not criminals.'
- Another message spells out 'AYUDA POR FAVOR' (HELP PLEASE in Spanish).
- ICE released scans of nine pages to podcast host Allison Gill after she filed a lawsuit in March.
- The Dilley Immigration Processing Center is located in South Texas.
- The release occurred almost six months after the seizure.
- All images are courtesy of Allison Gill.
Entities
Institutions
- Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
- Dilley Immigration Processing Center
Locations
- South Texas
- Texas
- United States