ICE Halts Movement at Texas Detention Center Due to Measles Cases
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has suspended all activities at a family detention center in Texas and quarantined some migrants following the confirmation of two active measles cases among detainees, as announced by the Department of Homeland Security on Sunday.
The measles infections were identified on Friday at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center, a facility in south Texas that accommodates parents and their children who have been taken into custody for alleged immigration violations, according to spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin. This center is situated about an hour’s drive from San Antonio.
“ICE Health Services Corps promptly initiated procedures to quarantine and contain any further infections, halting all movement within the facility and isolating individuals who might have been in contact with the affected detainees,” McLaughlin explained.
She mentioned that medical teams are closely observing detainees and implementing necessary measures to prevent additional infections. “All detainees are receiving adequate medical treatment,” she added.
Before McLaughlin’s announcement, immigration attorneys expressed worries about a potential outbreak at the Dilley center. Neha Desai, a lawyer from the National Center of Youth Law, which advocates for children in U.S. immigration custody, voiced concerns that the measles situation might be misused to hinder lawmakers and attorneys from accessing the center, especially given broader issues regarding conditions there.
“For now, we’re profoundly concerned about the physical and mental well-being of each family at Dilley,” Desai noted. “It’s essential to remember that no family needs to be detained; it’s a choice made by the administration.”
The U.S. reported the highest number of measles cases in decades in 2025, with over 2,200 cases in total, including an outbreak in West Texas involving 762 individuals, per data from the Texas Department of State Health Services. Tragically, two young children died, and 99 were hospitalized, according to state statistics.
The Dilley center is also notable for having housed 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, who were detained in Minnesota during an operation that sparked significant public backlash. They were released over the weekend following a court decision and returned to Minnesota on Sunday.
Under the second Trump administration, ICE’s detention population has surged, reflecting a commitment to an unprecedented deportation initiative. Current figures show that ICE is detaining over 70,000 individuals, primarily single adults facing deportation. This represents a substantial increase from the previous year, when about 40,000 individuals were held.
