Nation's largest illegal immigrant family lockup center to open in South Texas

12/16/2014

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DILLEY, TEXAS (AP) -- A former camp for oil field workers in rural South Texas is becoming a new family detention center amid the recent influx of women and children crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.

The first of up to 480 immigrants arrive in coming weeks in Dilley, about 70 miles southwest of San Antonio.

Temporary housing nearby under construction eventually will push capacity to 2,400, the nation's largest such facility. Detainees will be held in cottages with maximum capacity of eight people.

The center being inaugurated Monday opens as officials close a temporary family immigration lockup on the grounds of a law enforcement training center in New Mexico.

While border crossings of children have slowed considerably since this summer, advocates say immigrant families continue fleeing drug or gang violence, mostly in Central America.

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