Ground zero in the immigration debate

Critics say detention centers that hold women and children are inhumane; defenders say they help deter illegal immigration.
The South Texas Family Residential Center holds about 1,800 women and children in Dilley, Texas.

Credit: Jeremy Redmon/jredmon@ajc.com

Credit: Jeremy Redmon/jredmon@ajc.com

The South Texas Family Residential Center holds about 1,800 women and children in Dilley, Texas.

Dilley, Texas -- The more than 1,800 women and children who are being detained in this isolated part of South Texas are called "residents." Their bunk bed-filled barracks are called "suites." And their living quarters are situated in "neighborhoods" named after a cuddly brown bear, a pretty blue butterfly and a bright red bird.

Yet, there is no mistaking what this place is — a tightly secured immigration detention center complete with roaming guards, metal detectors and high fences.

The South Texas Family Residential Center — the largest of its kind in the U.S. with capacity to hold 2,400 people — is now ground zero in the contentious national debate over illegal immigration. And there is a lot at stake in that debate for Georgia, a state that has fought for years to drive out immigrants living illegally within its borders.