Kids Beg for Freedom in Letters From Inside ICE Detention Center: ‘Please Get Me Out of Here’

(AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Handwritten letters from children out of a Texas immigration detention center published by ProPublica on Monday offer a rare and unsettling glimpse into the lives of children caught up in the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.

The letters, obtained by the outlet in mid-January, were written after reporter Mica Rosenberg asked detained parents at Dilley Immigration Processing Center whether their children would be willing to describe their experiences through writing or drawings.

One detainee collected the letters and carried them out upon their release from the Dilley facility on January 20, saying the parents understood the material would be shared publicly with a journalist.

Collectively, the letters — written by children as young as 5 years old — describe frustration with months-long confinement, missed school and friends, reflections on medical care, and an overwhelming sense of hopelessness. Most of the children had reportedly been living in the U.S. for several years before they were detained.

More than 750 families were being held earlier this month at the center, according to the outlet, where the letters came from. The facility is the only one that detains families together, according to the report.

“I miss my school and my friends I feel bad since when I came here to this Place, because I have been here too long,” wrote Susej F., a 9-year-old from Venezuela detained for 50 days.

Ariana V. V., 14, described the emotional toll: “Since I got to this Center all you will feel is sadness and mostly depression.”

Several children, according to ProPublica, wrote about repeated illnesses and claimed inadequate treatment. Ender, 12, said: “Going to the doctor and that the only thing they tell you is to drink more water and the worst thing is that it seems the water is what makes people sick here.”

The Department of Homeland Security told ProPublica that detainees receive proper medical care, meals, education, and basic necessities, and that families can choose to remain together or separate during deportation proceedings. CoreCivic, which operates the center, said it is subject to multiple layers of oversight.

Another child, noted by the outlet as 5 years old, drew an image of several solemn looking faces, titled: “Mi familia.”

But the children’s words cut through official assurances. Maria Antonia Guerra Montoya, 9, detained for 113 days, wrote simply: “Me in dilei [sic] am not happy please get me out of here to colombia.”

See the letters and read the transcripts in full at ProPublica.

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