Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett is sharing shocking details from her visit to the Dilley Detention Center, where thousands of immigrant families are currently detained. Of those living in the facility is a 5-year-old, who made national news last week after he and his father were taken into ICE custody.
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We’ve been keeping up with the continued fallout from President Donald Trump’s immigration operation in the state of Minnesota. So far, ICE agents have repeatedly clashed with protesters, even leading to the killing of two Americans. Agents also have been accused of unjustly “kidnapping” people from their homes and off the streets.
A picture of 5-year-old Liam Ramos wearing a blue bunny hat and Spiderman backpack as ICE agents took him and his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Ramos, into custody quickly flooded social media. After their Jan. 20 detainment, Liam and his dad were sent to the Dilley Detention Center in Texas, hundreds of miles away from their home.
If the name sounds familiar, it’s probably because the Dilley Center — which can hold 2,400 people — has amassed a notorious reputation over the years. Multiple reports of horrific living conditions and inhumane treatment eventually led former President Joe Biden to close the facility in 2021. Trump reopened the center last year, according to the Texas Tribune.
Crockett, who is a criminal defense attorney, and Texas Rep. Joaquin Castro visited Liam at Dilley and later expressed serious concerns. “I am greatly concerned about Liam as I am all the children we were able to see,” Crockett told MS Now after the visit. “The children right now are depressed. They’re not getting any education at all. Many of them are not eating. They are throwing up,” she said.
This marked the first update in Liam’s case since he was detained. Castro shared a new photo of the young boy, who appeared to be sleeping. But Crockett told the outlet she’s unsure if Liam’s condition was as simple as that.
“I don’t even know if what I saw out of Liam was sleep,” the Texan continued. “I’ve dealt with a lot of kids, and when I tried to touch him, tried to move him — just to see if I can get his eyes to open — his eyes never opened. We never saw his eyes open,” Crockett admitted.
Liam has been diagnosed with depression. According to Crockett, he appeared pale during the visit and had been asking when he can go home and about his mother.
She also noted that no one detained in Dilley has a criminal record or has been accused of any crimes beyond immigration offenses. “This isn’t what the Trump administration promised,” Crockett added. “The reports of children not eating is very concerning,” she said.
The state lawmakers reportedly took samples of the facility’s water following growing concerns that mold is causing health issues inside of Dilley. Crockett is demanding Liam’s immediate release and for more accountability from the Trump administration.
“The only thing that I can say is this is Trump’s America, but this isn’t the America that represents the land of the free and the land of opportunity,” Crockett said. “It is the exact opposite.”
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