A security guard stands during a media tour of the Port Isabel Detention Center, organized by ICE in Los Fresnos, Texas in 2024. The Trump administration is looking to reopen family detention centers throughout the state.
Veronica G. Cardenas/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
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Veronica G. Cardenas/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
The Trump administration has reinstated the strategy of detaining families with children as part of a crackdown on immigration.
The Department of Homeland Security is in the process of reopening the Karnes and Dilley detention centers in Texas, retrofitting them for families.
Families have already begun arriving at the detention center in Karnes City, located in the southeastern region of Texas, according to DHS. The Biden administration had largely halted the practice of family detention, using these facilities to hold adults instead.
During his first term, President Trump detained families to discourage migration across the southern border. Previous administrations under George W. Bush and Barack Obama also implemented similar measures, and former President Joe Biden briefly considered it as well.
“The bottom line is that these individuals have final deportation orders from federal judges. This Administration is not going to overlook the rule of law,” stated Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the DHS. “The best option for illegal aliens is to self-deport. If they leave now, they may still have a chance to return and pursue the American dream.”
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the DHS agency handling deportation processes, has faced significant constraints since the inception of the administration, finding it difficult to locate sufficient individuals for arrest and detention without legal status. The agency’s 20 field offices have been tasked with achieving a daily quota of at least 75 arrests, despite facing limited staffing issues—as they also struggle to find adequate space for those scheduled for detention.
Concerns Raised by Advocates
Immigrant advocates have quickly condemned the decision to increase family detentions, primarily for the negative impact it has on children.
“Detention is harmful and damaging for all individuals, but particularly for children,” stated Setareh Ghandehari, the advocacy director at the Detention Watch Network. The organization aims to eliminate the practice of immigrant detention.
“Families should be allowed to handle their immigration cases within the community, supported by local organizations.”
Critics argue that detentions, including those at these newly reopened facilities, have resulted in the death, maltreatment, and psychological trauma to children.
“No child seeking safety should ever be incarcerated, period,” asserted Amy Fischer, the director of refugee and migrant rights at Amnesty International USA.
During the Trump administration’s first term, migrant children were separated from their parents and placed in detention centers as a tactic to deter further illegal immigration. This led to substantial backlash, including from some Republican figures.
The policy was eventually reversed, although around 1,000 children separated from their parents at the border still have not been reunited with their families as of early 2024.
Tom Homan, regarded as one of the policymakers behind that approach, is now serving as Trump’s “border czar” but prior to inauguration promised to focus on deporting families together in a humane manner.
Private Contractor anticipates Increasing Government Demand
The facility in Dilley reopened as part of an agreement between CoreCivic, a private prison company, and ICE, allowing for the detention of up to 2,400 individuals. CoreCivic stated that it managed the facility from 2014 until the prior contract expired in August 2024. The new contract, which will last until 2030, is projected to generate annual revenues of $180 million.
“We are entering a time when we expect increased demand from our government partners—especially from federal entities,” said Damon Hininger, CoreCivic’s CEO, in a statement. “We foresee a sustained level of contracting activity throughout 2025 to address their growing requirements.”
The administration has been utilizing contracts with CoreCivic as well as the Federal Bureau of Prisons to enhance its detention capabilities.
Contracts with ICE have expanded at facilities in New Jersey, Ohio, Nevada, Oklahoma, and Mississippi since President Trump began his second term.
