Children detained by ICE in 'horrific' conditions, says lawyer representing them

"They are traumatised by what they are going through.” That’s how attorney Eric Lee describes the experience of the children he’s representing, detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at the Dilley family detention center in Texas. Subscribe ► https://www.youtube.com/user/theguardian?sub_confirmation=1“ Liam Conejo Ramos, the five-year-old whose detention in Minnesota sparked mass outrage, was held there. But, Lee says: “There are a lot of other kids … who have been in there for far longer.” Lee represents the wife and five children of Mohamed Sabry Soliman, who is charged with first degree murder and multiple charges of hate crimes after an attack on a peaceful Colorado rally in June in support of Israeli hostages in Gaza. Soliman has pleaded not guilty. The family, who are from Egypt and applied for asylum after their visas expired, according to CBS, were detained shortly afterwards. A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson told CNN the agency was “investigating to what extent his family knew about this heinous attack” and Soliman’s “wife and their children are in our country illegally and are rightfully in ICE custody”. Lee argues their detention is a form of “collective punishment” and an immigration judge determined the family did not know what Soliman was planning. “The last thing they need is to be ... subjected to the type of conditions and the abuse that they are suffering,” says Lee. At least two cases of measles have recently been confirmed at the centre, with quarantine measures reported to have been implemented. ICE took about 3,800 minors into immigrant family detention from January to October 2025, according to a Guardian analysis of records obtained by the Deportation Data Project. The DHS told CNN the facility “fully meets federal detention standards and actually undergoes regular audits and inspections”. “The Dilley detention center is retrofitted for families. Adults with children are housed in facilities that provide for their safety, security, and medical needs. All detainees are provided with three meals a day, clean water, clothing, bedding, showers, soap, and toiletries.” Read why the Trump administration is detaining increasing numbers of immigrant children via the link ► https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/23/trump-administration-immigrant-kids-detention #ice #icedetention #iceraids #immigration #immigrationraids #children #trump #donaldtrump #massdeportations