Elora Mukherjee

Lights are on 24-7, which means children and families have a very difficult time sleeping.

There is inadequate access to sufficient water.

and parents are forgoing water and using their limited funds to buy bottles of water for children so that their children have enough to drink.

There is insufficient access to nutritious food

Children and parents alike have told me how they found worms, bugs, and mold in their food.

And as you've already highlighted, there is inadequate access to appropriate medical care.

I've represented children ranging from age 1 through age 15 who've been detained at Dilley.

Many of these children and families have been detained for prolonged periods of time.

Under an interpretation of the Flores Settlement Agreement, which provides for basic minimum protections for kids in federal immigration custody, children should not be detained any longer than 20 days.

But the Trump administration is regularly holding children in detention for far longer periods.

I'm currently representing three children who've been in detention for nearly 140 days

about seven times the lawful limit.

They are ages 4, 12, and 13.

The 12-year-old Camila just celebrated her 12-year-old birthday in prison last Thursday.

She has done nothing wrong, and she and her siblings do not belong in prison at Dilley.