February 11, 2026
ICE, ICE, baby—this ain't cool
Illness Is Rampant Among Children Trapped in ICE's Jail in Texas
Internet erupts: crowding soars, kids chant for freedom
TLDR: Dilley’s family detention center swelled to over 1,300 people daily, with sick kids, quarantines, and a lawsuit over denied medication. Commenters erupted with outrage, legal clarifications, and memes, debating whether this is deterrence by cruelty and demanding oversight, accountability, and closure of the facility
Outrage exploded online as news broke that ICE — the government’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement — has packed the Dilley family jail in Texas from roughly 500 people a day to over 1,300, with kids getting measles quarantines and an 18‑month‑old reportedly denied meds after a hospital stay. Commenters aren’t holding back: one viral clip of children shouting for freedom had everyone asking how this is even legal, while Syracuse’s Austin Kocher estimates around 800 kids are inside on any given day.
The hottest takes swung from furious to forensic. Some pointed to the ACLU of Northern California report warning detention abuses and private prison growth, while others noted that crossing the border illegally is a civil offense, not criminal — which only amped up the rage. One commenter blasted the logic of “deterrence by cruelty,” another said we shouldn’t expect humane treatment behind walls when public abuses happen in broad daylight. Meanwhile, meme-makers labeled Dilley “the worst summer camp ever,” joked “ICE, but not the kind you want in your drink,” and cast Detention Watch as a dystopian Netflix series. The mood? A combustible mix of grief, anger, and receipts: inedible food, undrinkable water mixed with baby formula, and kids protesting. The community’s verdict: shut it down, bring oversight, and stop pretending this is safety
Key Points
- •Average daily population at Dilley rose from ~500 in October to ~1,330 in late January, per Detention Reports.
- •Quarantines were imposed after at least two measles cases; an 18-month-old was hospitalized with a severe lung infection.
- •ICE does not publish child custody counts; estimates put roughly 800 children and about 750 families detained at Dilley.
- •Children protested conditions; a viral video recorded hundreds of children shouting for freedom.
- •A U.S. District Judge ordered the release of a detained father and son on February 1, criticizing the administration’s actions.