Summary
A group of celebrities and public figures have signed a petition asking for the closure of the Dilley Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in Texas. The petition, backed by entertainers and professionals from various fields, highlights concerns about the impacts of detention on families and children and has gained significant traction online.
Key Facts
- Celebrities like Mark Ruffalo, Jane Fonda, and Ben Stiller signed a petition to close the Dilley ICE detention center in Texas.
- The petition addresses concerns about the mental and physical health of detained families, especially children.
- It calls for the immediate release of detainees and an end to child detention.
- The petition had over 45,000 signatures on Change.org at the time of reporting.
- The Dilley facility is the largest family immigration detention center in the U.S., opening in December 2014 and initially housing 480 people.
- ICE closed the facility in June 2024 but reopened it under a new contract in 2025.
- Protests and demonstrations, both inside and outside the center, have focused on improving detention conditions and family treatment.
- A recent public outcry was partly fueled by a viral image of a detained 5-year-old boy, which highlighted conditions at the center.
