Democratic members of Congress from Texas have visited immigration detention facilities in the state and reported grim conditions, including poor medical care and neglect. Rep. Joaquin Castro has made seven visits to the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, where he met immigrants who had garnered national attention, as well as those whose stories received little media attention.

Conditions at the Facilities

Castro and other Democratic Congress members have described cases of medical neglect and substandard food at the facilities. They have also reported that federal officials have been opaque about how the detention centers are run and unwilling to hold contracted facility operators accountable. Rep. Veronica Escobar, who has visited Camp East Montana in El Paso ten times, recalled speaking to a detainee who had been injured during his arrest and was given only aspirin and an arm brace, despite needing further medical attention.

The Department of Homeland Security has maintained that immigrants receive quality care while in ICE custody, but the Democratic Congress members have disputed this claim. Castro has called for the Dilley facility to be shut down, while Escobar has demanded the same for Camp East Montana.

Visits and Oversight

Members of Congress have the authority to visit ICE detention facilities, and many have done so in recent years. These visits provide an important oversight function, as they allow Congress members to see firsthand the conditions at the facilities and to speak with detainees. The visits have also given detainees a chance to share their stories and to seek help from the Congress members.

Original reporting: Texas Tribune (HLL/CB) — read the source article.