This report details the establishment of a for-profit school within a major immigration detention center in Texas. This development comes in the wake of distressing accounts regarding the living conditions and lack of essential services, particularly education, for children held in these facilities. The article outlines the involvement of a private educational company and the specific roles being recruited, underscoring the ongoing challenges and controversies surrounding the care of detained immigrant minors and the government's efforts to meet legal requirements.
Details Unveiled: For-Profit School to Launch at Dilley ICE Facility Amidst Controversy
In a significant development, a for-profit educational institution is slated to commence operations within the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas, one of the nation's largest immigration detention facilities. This action, following the initiation of intensified immigration enforcement last year, marks the first instance of an educational establishment opening inside an ICE detention center. Stride, Inc., a company primarily known for virtual learning, will manage the school, with job postings indicating a need for on-site educators, as revealed by investigations conducted by Whitney Curry Wimbish for The American Prospect.
Stride, Inc. has recently advertised numerous positions on professional networking sites, including opportunities for a school principal, instructors for various grade levels and subjects (elementary, middle school English, middle/high school social studies, middle/high school science, high school English), an administrative assistant, a school counselor, and a special education compliance coordinator. A key requirement for these roles is fluency in Spanish and the ability to work in Dilley from Monday to Friday. Notably, the posting for the special education role explicitly states the company's objective to provide “equitable, high-quality education to all students” through this new site within the ICE facility.
This initiative is widely perceived as an endeavor to conform to the 1997 Flores Settlement Agreement. This legal mandate requires the federal government to ensure children aged 17 and under in immigration custody receive food, water, clothing, medical attention, and education. Furthermore, the agreement stipulates that these children should be transferred to a licensed, non-secure childcare facility after 20 days. Critics argue that current ICE detention centers, even with the addition of a school, do not inherently meet these stringent criteria.
Reports from The American Prospect cite a December 2025 court document, which asserts that nearly 400 children were detained for over 20 days—some for more than 40 days—in August and September of the previous year alone. This filing detailed severe deficiencies, including the denial of adequate medical care, age-appropriate food, access to legal counsel, free communication with family, and educational opportunities. The document further alleged a deterioration of conditions at the Dilley center, with families reporting neglected medical needs, contaminated food leading to illness, and threats of family separation by staff. Testimonies described children as weak, pale, prone to fainting, and frequently crying from hunger.
Stride, Inc.'s job listings do not provide specific timelines for the school's opening or its intended student capacity. When questioned by The American Prospect, Stride, Inc. indicated that CoreCivic, the private prison operator overseeing the South Texas Family Residential Center, is still finalizing the specifics of their service provision. Conversely, the Department of Homeland Security dismissed the notion of DHS establishing a school as merely “another hoax” concerning the facility.
This development sheds light on the complex and often controversial intersection of immigration policy, child welfare, and private enterprise. The move to establish a school within a detention center, while ostensibly aimed at fulfilling legal obligations, raises critical questions about the nature of education provided in such environments and the broader implications for children's rights and well-being. It also underscores the ongoing debate regarding transparency and accountability within immigration detention systems, prompting a closer examination of whether these measures truly address the profound needs of vulnerable populations or merely serve as a superficial compliance with legal requirements.