Opening Dilley

A Dilley playground / Photo Jennifer Whitney for the NYT

The family detention facility in Dilley, Texas has officially opened. Jeh Johnson, Secretary of Homeland Security, was present for its inauguration.

As the New York Times reports, Secretary Johnson made this cheerful pronouncement at the event: “It will now be more likely that you will be detained and sent back.”

Secretary Johnson’s comment flies in the face of the fact that many of the families fleeing to the United States have valid claims of asylum.

As Stephen Manning reported in early December, AILA pro bono volunteers have been successful in 11 of the 11 asylum hearings held at the Artesia detention facility. There is no reason to suspect that the women and children to be held at Dilley will have less meritorious claims.

-KitJ