ICE to open additional facility in South Texas to house adults with children

DILLEY, Texas — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) plans to open and operate a new residential center in Dilley, Texas to house adults with children in response to the influx of adults traveling with children apprehended along the southwest border.

Expected to open in December, the South Texas Family Residential Center will be the fourth facility the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is using to increase its capacity to detain and expedite the removal of adults with children who illegally crossed the Southwest border. These facilities will help ensure more timely and effective removals that comply with our legal and international obligations, while deterring others from taking the dangerous journey and illegally crossing into the United States.

In addition to the facility in Dilley, ICE is also using a temporary facility in Artesia, New Mexico, a newly modified residential center in Karnes City, Texas and a long-standing facility in Leesport, Pennsylvania to house adults with children.

Initial capacity at the South Texas Family Residential Center will be up to 480 residents, while the facility will ultimately accommodate up to 2,400 residents on the approximately 50-acre site. ICE expects to open the facility to its first residents in early November and for the site to be ready for full capacity within 210 days.

ICE is operating residential centers for adults with children to maintain family unity while families await the outcome of immigration hearings or return to their home countries. ICE ensures that these residential centers operate in an open environment, which includes medical care, play rooms, social workers, educational services, and access to legal counsel.