Measles outbreak confirmed at Dilley family detention center

Measles Outbreak at Dilley Detention Center

Following significant public concern regarding the treatment of young children at the South Texas Family Residential Center, reports have emerged of a measles outbreak at the Dilley facility. Immigration attorney Eric Lee noted that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had communicated this information to Senate Judiciary staff over the weekend, confirming at least two cases as of the latest updates.

Currently, over 400 children are being held at the Dilley center, which has approximately 1,200 detainees. Lee, who recently gained attention for documenting a protest within the facility, outlined the dire conditions detainees face, including receiving “food with worms and bugs.” He described the unpleasant smell of the water that families must consume and even mix with infant formula.

Lee represents a family inside the center, consisting of six members, including young children. One child, who spent his birthday at the facility, required urgent medical attention due to appendicitis. Initially, staff advised just a pain reliever; however, his condition worsened, leading to an emergency hospital visit for an appendectomy. “He nearly died,” Lee remarked.

During a press conference outside San Antonio City Hall, Congressman Joaquin Castro drew attention to the case of a 2-month-old baby who had been detained for “four or five days.” Once common in the U.S., measles was considered eliminated in 2000, though cases have resurfaced in various areas.

According to reports from University of Chicago Medicine, the uptick in measles cases over the past five years has been attributed to misinformation about vaccines and declining immunization rates in certain communities.

As of May 2025, there were over 1,000 new measles cases reported in the U.S., including three measles-related fatalities, surpassing the 285 cases documented for all of 2024, based on public health statistics. Children under five who are unvaccinated or under-vaccinated are particularly at risk, as highlighted in a World Health Organization report.

Enclosed environments, especially those that hold numerous individuals, can heighten the risk of disease outbreaks. The Centers for Disease Control states that “measles can spread quickly in correctional facilities due to congregate housing and possible lower vaccination coverage compared to the general population.”