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
During a recent video call, a young boy expressed deep distress. “I don’t want to be here anymore,” he said. “Nothing is good here.” This child, Deiver Henao Jimenez, had been separated from his parents at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in South Texas since early March. The facility, known for its cramped conditions, has faced complaints from detained children about inadequate education, constant lighting, and stale meals. The boy’s plea resonated with Ms. Rachel, who joined the call from her home studio. Dressed in her trademark pink headband, the beloved children’s entertainer attempted to soothe him. “Oh, I’m so sorry,” she said, her voice warm and melodic. “A lot of people want to try to help.”
Deiver shared that he missed his classmates and felt unwell after eating food at Dilley. However, the most pressing concern was his upcoming spelling bee. Before being detained, he had won his school competition and secured a regional spot, earning a place in New Mexico’s state contest in May. “I want to leave and go to the spelling bee,” he said. Ms. Rachel acknowledged his talent. “You have a real gift for spelling. You’re so smart,” she added. Her expression shifted as she reflected on the moment. “It was unbelievably surreal to see this sweet little face and feel like I was on a call with somebody who’s in jail,” she told NBC News in an exclusive interview. “It broke me, and it was something I never thought I’d encounter in life.”
“It was unbelievably surreal to see this sweet little face and feel like I was on a call with somebody who’s in jail,” Ms. Rachel, whose real name is Rachel Accurso, told NBC News in an exclusive interview this week. “It broke me, and it was something I never thought I’d encounter in life.”
Accurso, a prominent figure in children’s education through her videos, became aware of Dilley after federal agents detained the father of 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos in Minneapolis. A striking image of Liam, wearing a blue bunny hat and a Spider-Man backpack, sparked widespread attention. The photo highlighted the plight of families at the facility, which was initially described as a remote, prison-like environment. Though the family was eventually released, their asylum claim was denied this week. This incident marked the beginning of Accurso’s growing involvement in advocating for detained children.
Since the start of the Trump administration’s intensified immigration policy, over 2,300 children have been placed in detention with their parents, with the majority housed at Dilley, according to court-appointed monitors. Many have spent weeks or months in isolation. Accurso, already a vocal supporter of children in conflict zones, expanded her focus to the U.S. border after meeting Deiver and another child held at Dilley. “I’m now embarking on a new mission closer to home: working with lawyers and immigration rights activists to close Dilley and make sure that kids and their parents are back in their communities where they belong,” she said.
Immigration advocates and legal professionals have described the conditions at Dilley as dire. Some children have reported losing weight due to finding worms in their food, while others have grown anxious from constant guard patrols and long waits for medical treatment. A few have experienced medical emergencies while detained. The New York Times reported that the number of children at Dilley dropped to about 50 this week, down from roughly 500 in January. This decline followed sustained pressure from human rights groups, Democratic lawmakers, and legal teams. The Department of Homeland Security has since dismissed criticisms as “mainstream media lies,” insisting that Dilley offers comprehensive care tailored to families.
