Celebrities join petition to shut down Dilley Immigration Center in Texas, over abuse claims

Many celebrities have signed a petition demanding the closure of a Texas immigration detention facility that houses migrant families, citing alleged abuse and harmful conditions for children.

Dilley Immigration Center facing backlash

What we know:

The petition, launched Sunday on Change.org, calls for the immediate shutdown of the Dilley Immigration Processing Center, a family detention facility operated by private contractor CoreCivic under U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

 As of Tuesday, the petition had drawn nearly 30,000 signatures.

Influencers supporting the petition

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MARCH 02: (L-R) Rachel Griffin Accurso and Aron Accurso attend the 2026 Children’s & Family Emmy Awards at Jazz at Lincoln Center on March 02, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)

Dig deeper:

The effort gained traction after YouTube children’s entertainer Ms. Rachel publicly criticized the facility and added her name to the petition. Other high-profile signatures include: 

• Madonna
• Pedro Pascal
• John Legend
• Keke Palmer
• Javier Bardem
• Mark Ruffalo
• America Ferrera
• Elliot Page
• Jane Fonda
• Diego Luna
• Billy Porter

History of the Dilley Detention Center

Big picture view:

The Dilley facility, one of the largest family immigration detention centers in the country, has long been a focal point in debates over U.S. immigration policy, particularly the detention of children and families awaiting immigration proceedings.

A photo of 5-year-old Liam Ramos, from Minnesota, went viral during Operation Metro Surge when he was taken into ICE custody and held at the Dilley Detention Center. Liam was released from Dilley Detention Center on January 31, 2025.

Rep. Ilhan Omar posted a photo of them at the airport one day after their release, escorting them back to Minnesota. 

Allegations of abuse and poor conditions

What they’re saying:

The petition argues that children held at the facility “endure trauma, neglect and conditions that violate basic standards of health, safety, dignity and human rights.” It cites allegations from court filings that include lack of access to clean water, spoiled food, inadequate medical care, sleep deprivation, denial of legal counsel and family separations.

“No child should be locked in an immigration detention center,” the petition states, adding that children “belong in schools and on playgrounds, not in detention centers.”

The petition calls on federal authorities and CoreCivic to close the facility, release detained families and end the practice of detaining children. It also urges broader reforms, including increased transparency and accountability across the U.S. immigration system.

DILLEY, TEXAS – JANUARY 28: People protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement as they march toward the South Texas Family Residential Center on January 28, 2026 in Dilley, Texas. A federal judge temporarily blocked the deportation of 5-year-

CoreCivic, DHS respond

A medallion of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security logo. (FOX 5 NY Illustration)

The other side:

CoreCivic pushed back against the allegations in a statement to Fox News Digital, calling them “baseless claims” made by individuals who are “either misinformed or intentionally misleading the public.”

A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security also criticized the petition’s backers, citing a November press release from DHS, saying the agency is “laser-focused on protecting children” and continues to work with law enforcement partners to reunite families.