The release of 12 infants from a migrant detention center in Dilley, Texas revealed squalid conditions that those detained face as they wait for Immigration and Customs Enforcement to determine whether they are a "danger to the community or a flight risk," CBS News reported. Four other babies were in detention alongside the 12, but their status currently remains unclear.
Advocacy groups sent letters of complaint specifically regarding the infants to the Department of Homeland Security and the House Judiciary Committee detailing the state of the detention center in Dilley.
"Every mother I spoke to said that her child was sick in some way," said Katy Murdza, the advocacy coordinator at the American Immigration Council's Dilley Bro Pono Project.
Several infants lost weight rapidly because the facility carried one type of formula that was only available upon special request. Subsequently, mothers were not given bottled water to mix with the formula, meaning they had to use potentially-unsafe tap water at the center, instead. Some mothers described how difficult it was to access medical attention for the children.
ICE officials, however, told CBS News that immigrants are offered "comprehensive medical care", including access to 24-hour emergency care. Advocates say that is "not corroborated by parents who spend time at Dilley."
Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) said that the House Judiciary Committee is planning on holding "long overdue" hearings on the state of the centers.
