The employees at Dilley Immigration Processing Center in Dilley, Texas, have hearts of service that are devoted to caring for a special population of detained individuals.

“We care for families, and our employees take that mission to heart," said Jose Rodriguez Jr., facility administrator at Dilley.

As an immigration processing center for families, employees must maintain a secure environment while also supporting the special and important needs of families detained at the facility. Residents typically stay a short time, with an average length of stay around 11 days. During that time, residents go through asylum interviews and court proceedings, as required by law.

The facility provides monitored childcare while parents undergo court proceedings, meetings with attorneys, and asylum interviews. And when not occupied by their respective legal procedures, families can utilize the services and opportunities offered at Dilley.

The facility has extensive outdoor recreational opportunities, including a soccer field, playground, sand volleyball court, cornhole games and a covered pavilion used for board games. Indoors, families can take part in religious services, visit the library, shop in the commissary, get a haircut at the barber shop, sing karaoke or watch movies. For school-age children, educational packets are provided to help with learning grade-appropriate information.

Day-to-day living includes mealtimes for families to enjoy together. Residents' birthdays are also celebrated monthly with special meals, such as fajitas, chicken piccata, chicken romesco and fried shrimp. Of course, the special birthday meals conclude with cake and ice cream.

Ensuring residents are healthy is a priority. When residents first arrive at the facility, they receive a health care screening before entering the facility. Then, residents continue to have unfettered access to the approximately 120 heath care professionals on staff who provide medical and mental health services on-site. Off-site health care is coordinated for residents, too.

Dilley recently reopened in April 2025 with a contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to house single- and multi-head households undergoing immigration proceedings with the U.S. government.

Approximately two-thirds of the staff from 2024 returned when the facility reopened in April, and the rest are newly hired employees.

A positive work environment is top of mind for leadership at Dilley. In fact, the facility has a suggestion box where team members can submit suggestions to improve operations, employee morale and engagement. This promotes ownership and ensures that they have a voice in providing valuable feedback that will have a direct positive impact on the operation and the culture of the facility.

Rodriguez also recognizes the good work of the facility’s employees regularly, with Employee of the Month celebrations, birthday celebrations and themed workdays, such as Football Jersey Day, when employees wear jerseys from their favorite teams.

“I like to seek feedback from our employees about how they would like to be recognized and how I can show appreciation,” said Rodriguez. “It’s all about celebrating them; they’re the ones who do the good work here every day.”

That good work extends into the community, too. From Trunk or Treat events to back-to-school supply drives, employees participate in many local charitable events in the city of Dilley. Rodriguez also maintains a strong relationship with city leaders, keeping an open line of communication and collaborating when needed to keep the facility operating smoothly.

“Some people might focus on the fact that we are a family residential unit as our defining characteristic, but what truly sets Dilley Immigration Processing Center apart is our staff,” said Rodriguez. “They’re passionate about our mission. They never lose sight of the fact that we’re working with families: Each person here is an individual worthy of care and compassion.”