Measles cases prompt quarantine, other steps at ICE facility in Texas, DHS says

WASHINGTON, Feb 2 (Reuters) – U.S. immigration officials have quarantined some migrants and halted “all movement” after two measles cases were confirmed among detainees at its facility in south Texas, the Department of Homeland Security said on Monday.

The cases at Dilley Immigration Processing Center were confirmed by the state’s health department on Saturday, DHS said, adding that “all detainees are being provided with proper medical care.”

“ICE Health Services Corps immediately took steps to quarantine and control further spread and infection, ceasing all movement within the facility and quarantining all individuals suspected of making contact with the infected,” the department wrote, adding that medical staff would continue to monitor the situation and take steps to prevent further infection.

The two Texas cases come amid rising measles cases across the country, including elsewhere in the state and in South Carolina, which has seen the biggest state-level outbreak so far with more than 800 infections.

U.S. Representative Joaquin Castro, a Texas Democrat, said the facility should immediately shut down.

“Because of the close-quarters conditions at Dilley, lack of prompt medical response and capacity, and lack of expertise with diseases such as measles, Dilley is not equipped to combat any spread,” he said.

Texas led a surge in measles cases nationally in 2025 with 762 infections, with the United States recording its largest outbreak since the disease was declared eliminated from the country in 2000. The state’s outbreak was declared over in August.

ICE’s Dilley facility, operated by the private company CoreCivic, was opened in 2014 to house migrant families caught crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally. It was due to close under the Biden administration but was contracted again last year under U.S. President Donald Trump as part of his immigration crackdown.

The facility has been the backdrop of a number of high-profile immigration cases, including the recent detention of a 5-year-old boy and his father, who were released back to their home in a Minneapolis suburb following a judge’s order.

Castro’s spokesperson said earlier that the pair had a full medical exam upon leaving Dilley on Saturday night, and that Castro and his congressional staff who visited the facility last week were vaccinated against measles.

“There is unreliable access to medical care and a negligent disregard for babies, kids, women, and men when they are sick and suffering. Let’s be clear: ICE is entirely responsible for these conditions,” Castro’s spokesperson said earlier on Monday, adding that Castro’s office was monitoring developments at Dilley and other detention centers.

(Reporting by Susan Heavey and Ted Hesson; additional reporting by Kanishka Singh; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Bill Berkrot)