An open letter to the U.S. Congress

Close Dilley Detention Center and End Family Detention

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I'm asking you to demand the immediate closure of the Dilley Detention Center and an end to all family detention facilities. Hayam El Gamal and her five children have been detained at Dilley for nearly a year while ICE denies them basic medical care. El Gamal has fluid around her heart and experiences pain she describes as "being stabbed through the back to the stomach." ICE refused her CT scan for weeks, dismissing the lump as "merely a bone." When she finally reached an ER, they found fluid near her heart but sent her back to detention without the recommended ultrasound. Her attorney warns she may die without proper treatment. Her children are suffering too. The 5-year-old was denied dental care for 13 cavities. The 16-year-old was told to take Tylenol for acute appendicitis. All the children are now experiencing depression. This isn't an isolated incident. It's the predictable result of a system that cages families and prioritizes detention over human dignity. No child should spend a year behind bars while their mother's health deteriorates. Close Dilley and end family detention. These facilities cannot be reformed when their core function is inhumane.

▶ Created on April 17 by Jessica

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