Measles Cases Trigger Quarantine at Texas Family Immigration Detention Center

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has suspended all movement inside a family detention facility in Texas after two detainees were confirmed to have active measles infections, the Department of Homeland Security said. The cases were identified at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in south Texas, about an hour from San Antonio, according to DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin in a statement. ICE Health Services Corps quarantined individuals who may have had contact with the infected detainees and began monitoring families housed at the center, which holds parents and children in immigration custody.

Officials said medical teams are taking active steps to contain the spread, with all detainees receiving care and observation. The move comes amid rising concern from immigration advocates and legal representatives. Neha Desai of the National Center for Youth Law warned against using the outbreak to restrict oversight visits by attorneys and lawmakers, while voicing concern for the physical and mental health of families held at the facility. She emphasized that family detention itself is a policy choice rather than a necessity.

The development follows a broader resurgence of measles across the United States in 2025, with more than 2,200 cases reported nationwide, including a major outbreak in West Texas that led to hospitalizations and child fatalities, according to state health data. Meanwhile, ICE detention numbers have surged, with more than 70,000 people currently held across the country — a sharp increase from roughly 40,000 a year ago — as federal authorities intensify immigration enforcement efforts.

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