Children’s entertainer Ms. Rachel has a new cause: Freeing kids from ICE detention
Children’s entertainer Ms. Rachel has a new cause: Freeing kids from ICE detention
In a low-quality video feed, a young boy expressed his anguish. “I don’t want to be here anymore,” he said, his voice trembling. “Nothing is good here.” For several weeks, 9-year-old Deiver Henao Jimenez had been confined with his parents at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in South Texas. The boy’s comments highlighted concerns about the facility’s environment, including limited educational resources, unrelenting lights, and food that had a moldy taste. Yet, the moment that stirred Ms. Rachel’s heart was not the physical conditions, but the emotional weight of the child’s words.
Ms. Rachel, whose real name is Rachel Accurso, connected with Deiver through a video call. Clad in her signature pink headband, the beloved children’s entertainer leaned in, attempting to ease the boy’s distress. “Oh, I’m so sorry,” she said, her tone gentle and familiar to countless families. “A lot of people want to try to help.” Deiver shared his longing for friends and the discomfort caused by the food at Dilley. But what truly troubled him was the opportunity lost to participate in his school’s spelling bee, where he had previously earned a regional placement. “I want to leave and go to the spelling bee,” he said, his voice a mix of hope and frustration.
“It was unbelievably surreal to see this sweet little face and feel like I was on a call with somebody who’s in jail,” Accurso told NBC News in an exclusive interview. “It broke me, and it was something I never thought I’d encounter in life.”
The catalyst for Accurso’s awareness of Dilley came in January, when federal agents detained the father of 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos in Minneapolis. The child, wearing a blue bunny hat and a Spider-Man backpack, became an internet sensation, drawing national attention to the facility’s harsh realities. Though the family was eventually released, their asylum claim was denied this week. This incident marked the beginning of Accurso’s growing involvement with the issue.
Accurso’s advocacy spans global crises, from war zones in Gaza, Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo to the plight of children in U.S. detention. Her efforts have raised substantial funds but also drawn criticism from those who accuse her of favoring certain conflicts. “I see all children as precious and equal,” she insists, guiding her actions. After speaking with Deiver and another boy at Dilley, she has vowed to take on a new mission: collaborating with legal experts and immigration advocates to close the center and return families to their communities.
The Trump Administration’s Crackdown
During the first year of the Trump administration’s intensified immigration strategy, over 2,300 children were placed in detention with their parents, with Dilley serving as the primary location. Many spent weeks or months in custody, enduring conditions that parents and legal professionals describe as deteriorating. Some reported weight loss due to food containing worms, while others faced anxiety from constant guard patrols and lengthy waits for basic medical care. A few even experienced urgent health issues while held.
Conditions at Dilley
As of this week, approximately 50 children remain at Dilley, a stark contrast to the 500 detained in January, according to a report by The New York Times. The reduction follows sustained pressure from human rights advocates, Democratic lawmakers, and immigration attorneys. However, the exact reasons for the drop are unclear. Some families have been released into the U.S., while others were sent back to their home countries.
The Department of Homeland Security has dismissed reports of poor conditions as “mainstream media lies,” asserting that Dilley is a well-equipped facility designed to meet the needs of detained families. Yet, Accurso’s experience with Deiver has deepened her resolve to challenge these claims. With the help of journalist Lidia Terrazas, who has extensively covered Dilley for the Spanish-language network N+ Univision, Accurso now aims to amplify the voices of those affected by the system.
