The psychological impact on detained immigrant families is severe, as illustrated by a 5-year-old girl’s nightmares of being trapped and separated from her mother. Lawyers argue that harsh confinement and threats of family separation pressure parents into abandoning their asylum claims. Kelly Vargas and her husband experienced this coercion at Dilley, where their daughter, Maria, suffered health issues and emotional distress. Ultimately, the family was deported to Colombia, leaving Maria fearful and withdrawn.
