A powerful group of Hollywood stars, artists, and activists has signed an open letter demanding the immediate closure of the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in Texas, one of the largest family detention centers run by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The letter, backed by Madonna, Pedro Pascal, John Legend, Jane Fonda, Jodie Foster, Spike Lee, Ben Stiller, Edward Norton, Ava DuVernay, Janelle Monáe, and other high-profile figures, condemns the facility’s unsafe, dehumanizing conditions and repeated endangerment of migrant children.
The Dilley family detention center, operated by private prison company CoreCivic, has drawn intense criticism for overcrowding, inadequate medical care, and reports of abuse and neglect toward children and parents. The celebrities’ letter echoes statements from pediatricians and human rights groups, arguing that prolonged detention inflicts long‑term psychological harm on young people who have already fled violence and instability.
The petition also highlights testimony from former detainees and legal advocates describing poor food, lack of hygiene, and prison‑like conditions for individuals often labeled “low‑risk” asylum seekers. Signers insist that “children belong in schools and on playgrounds, not in detention centers,” and call on the federal government to end what they describe as “child imprisonment” at Dilley.
The campaign has gathered more than 215,000 signatures from civil rights organizations, medical professionals, and grassroots activists. Hosted on Change.org, the petition urges both the U.S. government and CoreCivic to shut down the Dilley center, release detained families, and reunite them with their communities.
Media coverage contrasting glamorous red‑carpet activism with the harsh reality of detention has intensified public pressure. Several signers, including Jane Fonda and Susan Sarandon, have long records of political and social‑justice organizing, underscoring how the Dilley controversy has become a flashpoint in broader debates over U.S. immigration policy, private prisons, and migrant rights.
As of April 2026, the Dilley Immigration Processing Center remains open, but the celebrity‑backed campaign is making calls for reform more urgent. Lawmakers and advocacy groups are now using petition signatures and high‑profile endorsements to push for congressional hearings, independent inspections, and possible legislative changes to limit or end family detention nationwide.
The debate over the Dilley detention center’s closure continues to dominate entertainment and political news, testing how strongly public opinion and A‑list advocacy can influence federal immigration enforcement and the future of private detention facilities.
