Dozens of immigrant families protested Saturday behind the fences of a Texas detention facility where a 5-year-old Ecuadorian boy and his father were sent this week after being detained in Minnesota.
Aerial photos taken by The Associated Press showed children and parents at the South Texas Family Residential Center clad in jackets and sweaters, some holding signs that read Libertad para los niños, or Liberty for the kids. Families could also be heard chanting Libertad! or Let us go, said Eric Lee, an immigration attorney who was there to visit a client at the facility in Dilley.
Maria Alejandra Montoya Sanchez, 31, shared her sentiments during the demonstration, stating, The message we want to send is for them to treat us with dignity and according to the law. We’re immigrants, with children, not criminals. Montoya Sanchez and her 9-year-old daughter have been held at the facility since October.
The detention of 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, has sparked outcry amid differing accounts regarding their treatment and rights. Earlier that week, a federal immigration officer shot and killed a man in Minneapolis, fueling protests over police conduct and raising tensions further.
During the protest, Montoya Sanchez noted she caught a brief glimpse of Liam and his father. Advocates report that conditions within the facility include food with worms, constant illness, and inadequate medical access. Lee remarked that the courage displayed by families to voice their concerns under such oppressive conditions underscores the dire reality they face.
Amidst ongoing federal scrutiny, the families continue to demand essential rights and humane treatment, echoing the urgent need for reform in the immigration system.
