Urgent Call for Closure: Prominent Figures Demand Shutdown of Dilley Immigration Processing Center
A diverse group of actors, artists, filmmakers, physicians, organizations, and policy experts have come together to demand the immediate closure of the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in Texas. This facility, which resembles a prison, is used to detain children and families following ICE raids in the United States. The signatories of the letter include prominent figures such as Madonna, Pedro Pascal, John Legend, Javier Bardem, Mark Ruffalo, and many others. The letter highlights the trauma, neglect, and violations of basic human rights that children experience in immigration detention centers and calls for systemic change and accountability.
The publication of this letter, which is available for public signatures on Change.org, coincides with increasing scrutiny of the Dilley facility. Reports have revealed unsafe conditions within the center, including cases of measles, contaminated food and water, inadequate medical care, mistreatment of detainees, and illegal imprisonment. The facility gained widespread attention when 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos was sent there after being arrested with his father in Minneapolis during controversial ICE raids. Images of Ramos being taken into custody while wearing a Spider-Man backpack went viral, sparking outrage and concern.
Ms. Rachel, a well-known educator and entertainment personality, has been vocal about the dire conditions at Dilley and is advocating for the children held there. She emphasizes that every child deserves to feel safe, cared for, and treated with dignity, and condemns the practice of locking children in immigration detention centers. The letter calls for the immediate closure of the Dilley facility, the return of children and families to their homes and communities, and an end to child imprisonment. It also demands transparency, accountability, and systemic reforms to prevent such abuses from occurring anywhere in the United States.
The signatories of the letter, which includes names from the entertainment industry, are united in their plea to protect children and families from the harms of immigration detention. They urge the federal government and CoreCivic to take action to close the Dilley facility and ensure that children are not subjected to inhumane conditions. By signing onto this cause, individuals can join the effort to safeguard the well-being and rights of vulnerable children and families who are currently detained in immigration facilities.