Minnesota boy Liam Conejo Ramos had just departed the facility over the weekend, but officials say he wouldn’t have been released if there was “risk of exposure.”
SAN ANTONIO — Two confirmed measles cases at the Dilley immigration detention center forced lawmakers to cancel a planned visit scheduled for Friday, the spokesperson for Congressman Joaquin Castro’s office said.
“Shortly after giving notice that Congressman Castro and nine other members of Congress would inspect Dilley, our staff were notified of two reported cases of measles,” Katherine Schneider, spokesperson for the San Antonio Democrat, said in a statement. “As a result, our visit was cancelled.”
Castro and his team, who visited the facility earlier this week to meet with detained Minnesota boy Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, are vaccinated and protected from exposure, the statement said. Liam and his father also “had a full medical exam” before departing Saturday.
“ICE would not have released either if there was any risk of exposure,” Schneider added.
Dilley is about 72 miles southwest of downtown San Antonio.
The congressman’s office also highlighted ongoing concerns about conditions at Dilley, citing detainee reports of limited access to medical care and neglect of children, women and men when sick. Last Wednesday, while calling for Liam and his father’s release outside San Antonio City Hall, he said the boy appeared “lethargic” during their visit.
“ICE is entirely responsible for these conditions. Congressman Castro and our office will be tracking this development closely as we continue to work toward the release of all the kids, women, and men detained at Dilley, and at all detention centers across the country,” Schneider said.
The Department of Homeland Security didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment about precautions being taken at the facility.
More than 750 cases of measles were reported by state officials during an outbreak that started in West Texas last year. The Texas Department of State Health Services declared that outbreak over in mid-August.