The lawsuit over conditions at Dilley highlights broader concerns about inadequate medical care, contaminated food, limited education, and the overall harm to children detained with their families.

Lawyers representing the family filed an emergency habeas corpus petition, which led to Amalia and her mother's release from detention on February 6, 2026.

Amalia was hospitalized for ten days in January with oxygen and treatment, yet was returned to detention despite medical advice and ongoing vulnerability.

A 6-year-old girl, Maria Vargas, showed emotional and physical decline in detention, including bedwetting, nightmares, and fear of family separation, ultimately deported with her family.

Since April, about 1,800 children passed through Dilley by December, with roughly 345 detained with parents in that month; durations range from weeks to over six months.

An 18‑month‑old girl, Amalia, detained with her parents, suffered life‑threatening respiratory failure after contracting pneumonia, Covid‑19, and RSV while in detention.

Legal and advocacy groups argue that prolonged detention and Flores Settlement challenges amount to coercive practices intended to push families to abandon asylum claims.

Advocates and medical experts contend that returning a medically fragile child to detention without prescribed medicines poses extreme danger and constitutes wrongful confinement.

DHS defends family detention as necessary and safe, while critics say it violates children’s rights; CoreCivic emphasizes health and safety but provides limited detail on outbreak responses and vaccination checks.

The case follows prior scrutiny of Dilley after a controversial incident involving a 5-year-old boy detained with his father, drawing national attention to treatment of children in detention.

Families describe meals as sometimes contaminated or inappropriate, with reports of worms, mold, and children relying on crackers and juice, some refusing to eat.

Health concerns include two measles cases among detainees and reports of limited medical care, with children falling ill and delays in treatment.