An Egyptian family of six believed to be the longest detained at the controversial South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, the only federal immigrant facility authorized to hold parents with their children, were released late Thursday following rulings this week by two Texas federal judges.
The Thursday decision by U.S. District Court Judge Fred Biery in San Antonio was in response to a ruling Monday by U.S. Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Chestney. The family’s release is a major development in their nearly year-long saga, during which the mother and her five children repeatedly raised alarms for months about the treatment at that facility, including medical neglect, rotting food, impotable water, and disrespect for their Muslim faith. Last week, the family’s lawyers said the mother was rushed to the emergency room after months of suffering from an unidentified bump, which she feared may be cancerous due to her family history and possibly heightened by the lack of medical care at the detention center.
In a statement, the family’s lawyer, Michigan-based Eric Lee, said that attorneys and the family felt “vindicated” by the federal courts’ resounding decision and the family’s subsequent release.
