Detained Immigrant Families Protest Inside Texas Facility Housing 5-Year-Old Boy, Father

Over the weekend, dozens of immigrant families gathered behind the fences of a Texas detention facility to protest the recent transfer of a 5-year-old Ecuadorian boy and his father from Minnesota.

Photos captured by The Associated Press showed children and parents at the South Texas Family Residential Center wearing jackets and holding signs advocating for the freedom of the kids.

Chants of “Libertad!” (Liberty) could be heard outside the facility as families demanded to be treated with dignity and according to the law.

One detainee, Maria Alejandra Montoya Sanchez, emphasized that they are immigrants with children, not criminals, and deserve to be treated humanely.

The detention of the 5-year-old boy and his father in Minnesota has sparked controversy and highlighted the divisive nature of immigration policies in the United States.

Protests in Minneapolis over a recent fatal shooting by a federal immigration officer have added to the tensions surrounding immigration enforcement.

Families at the Texas facility organized the protest to draw attention to the long detention periods and poor conditions they have endured.

According to reports, hundreds of children have been held at the facility beyond the mandated limit, raising concerns about the treatment of detainees.