DPS troopers stand guard in front of the Dilley detention center during a protest last weekend. Credit: Michael Karlis After a week of public outcry over the South Texas Family Residential Center’s treatment of young children behind its walls, the Dilley facility is experiencing a measles outbreak, according to immigration attorney Eric Lee. Lee, who went viral last week for capturing the moment a protest broke out inside the facility, told the Current that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) informed Senate Judiciary staff of the outbreak over the weekend. At least two cases have been confirmed at the facility as of press time, the attorney said. Over 400 children are detained at the Dilley facility, which currently holds approximately 1,200 detainees. Speaking with the Current on the phone, Lee detailed the harsh conditions families already experience inside, including “food with worms, bugs in it.” Lee also described the putrid smell of the water families are forced to drink, which they also have no choice but to mix with baby formula. Lee represents a family of six inside the facility, including several small children. One of the children, all of whom have spent a birthday in the facility, suffered from appendicitis and was told by staff to take a pain reliever. He was later rushed to the hospital to have his appendix removed after his condition had worsened. “He nearly died,” Lee said. Speaking at a press conference outside of San Antonio City Hall on Wednesday, Congressman Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio spoke of a 2-month old baby detained at the facility “for four or five days.” Measles was declared eliminated in the Unites States in 2000, but it is again circulating in parts of the country. “[I]ncreasing numbers of measles infections — driven by misinformation about vaccines and reduced vaccination rates in some communities — have been reported over the last five years,” according to report by University of Chicago Medicine. As of May 2025, there were more than 1,000 new cases of measles and three measles-related deaths in the U.S., surpassing the 285 cases reported for all of 2024, according to public health statistics. Most measles deaths in the world are among unvaccinated or under vaccinated children under the age of 5, according to a World Health Organization report. Certain environments, such as confined facilities with numerous inhabitants, can also increase the risk of an outbreak. “Measles can spread quickly in correctional facilities because of congregate housing, ventilation limitations, and potentially lower vaccine coverage in some settings compared to the general public,” according to a report on preventing outbreaks in carceral settings by the Centers for Disease Control. This is a developing story. * * * _**Subscribe to SA Current newsletters.**_ **_Follow us:Apple News | Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Or sign up for our RSS Feed_** * * * ### Related Stories ## Democrat Taylor Rehmet wins solidly red Texas Senate seat in stunning special election upset With ballots tallied from all but a handful of voting centers, Rehmet had 57% of the vote, besting the 43% for his GOP opponent, Leigh Wambsganss, who had a massive spending advantage. ## The week’s San Antonio and Texas news — in limericks Because who doesn’t enjoy seeing the state’s most pathetic politicians mocked in verse? ## Federal judge orders release of 5-year-old Liam Ramos U.S. District Judge Fred Biery, who in his ruling accused the feds of incompetence, ordered that Ramos and his father be release by Tuesday. ### KEEP SA CURRENT! Since 1986, the SA Current has served as the free, independent voice of San Antonio, and we want to keep it that way. Becoming an SA Current Supporter for as little as $5 a month allows us to continue offering readers access to our coverage of local news, food, nightlife, events, and culture with no paywalls. Join today to keep San Antonio Current.

Authorities in Arizona say one person was shot and in critical condition Tuesday in a shooting involving the Border Patrol near the U.S.- Mexico border.