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
In a shaky video transmission, a young boy appeared visibly distressed. “I don’t want to be here anymore,” he said. “Nothing is good here.” Since March, 9-year-old Deiver Henao Jimenez had been detained with his parents at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in South Texas, where kids have expressed concerns about inadequate schooling, constant lighting, and unappetizing meals. During the call, he shared how the food made his stomach ache and how he longed to reunite with his classmates. But his deepest fear was not hunger—it was missing the spelling bee he had previously won, securing a spot in New Mexico’s state competition in May.
A Spoken Plea for Freedom
Ms. Rachel, whose real name is Rachel Accurso, leaned in close to the screen, her signature pink headband still visible. “Oh, I’m so sorry,” she said, her voice soothing and familiar to millions of children. “A lot of people want to try to help.” Deiver’s mention of his spelling bee earned her a pause, as Accurso reassured him. “You have a real gift for spelling. You’re so smart.” Her tone shifted afterward. “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.”
“I see all children as precious and equal,” Accurso said, reflecting on her broader advocacy. “That’s my simple mantra.”
The moment became a turning point for Accurso, who first learned about Dilley after federal agents detained Liam Conejo Ramos’s father in Minneapolis. A photo of the 5-year-old, wearing a blue bunny hat and Spider-Man backpack, went viral, spotlighting the facility’s conditions. The family was eventually released, but their asylum case was denied this week. Accurso’s involvement grew from there, as she connected with children held at Dilley through a video call arranged by journalist Lidia Terrazas, who has reported on the center for the Spanish-language network N+ Univision.
In the first year of the Trump administration’s expanded immigration crackdown, over 2,300 children were placed in detention with their parents, with Dilley hosting the majority. Many spent weeks or months in the facility, enduring issues like worm-infested meals and prolonged waits for medical treatment. Parents and lawyers have described children losing weight and experiencing anxiety due to constant surveillance. Some even suffered health emergencies while confined there.
This week, Dilley’s population dropped from about 500 to around 50, according to The New York Times. While the reasons remain unclear, the decline followed sustained pressure from human rights groups, Democratic lawmakers, and legal advocates. The Department of Homeland Security dismissed reports of poor conditions as “mainstream media lies,” claiming the facility offers comprehensive care tailored to families. Yet Accurso’s experience with Deiver and another boy has solidified her resolve to act. She now aims to collaborate with legal teams and activists to close Dilley and ensure families return to their communities.