Woman Sends $10,000 Weekly to Feed Detained Migrant Children

Who is Casey Revkin and how did she start helping?

Casey Revkin is a Californian who directs the organization Each Step Home. Her work with migrant families began in 2018, during the first Trump administration.

At that time, she helped separated families at the border complete reunification procedures. «For families these were enormous obstacles, but something we could perfectly do,» Revkin recalled to BBC Mundo.

With Trump’s return to the presidency, Revkin sought new ways to help. A specific case prompted her to focus on family detention centers.

What case motivated her to act in Dilley?

In January, Revkin learned of the detention of Liam Conejo Ramos, a 5-year-old boy. The minor was arrested in a migration operation in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Liam entered the Dilley Immigration Processing Center with his father. That same center later also housed Luis Sánchez* and his four children.

The Dilley center is the only one in the country designated for families with minors. It was closed during the Joe Biden administration but reopened last year.

How did a detained father describe his children’s situation?

Luis Sánchez* had been in Dilley for more than three weeks with his four children. He said his younger daughters showed signs of extreme desperation.

«They told me they wanted to kill themselves, to sign whatever it took to get out,» Sánchez told BBC Mundo. The situation led him to seek help within the center.

A lawyer who visits the facility told him about Revkin’s assistance. This way, Sánchez sent an email requesting money to buy water and hygiene items.

«Imagine my surprise that, days later, I already had US$200 in my account,» Sánchez recalled to BBC Mundo. With that money, they bought water, popcorn, and candy for the children.

How does Revkin’s assistance work?

Revkin sends money directly to the accounts of detainees within the center. Dilley uses a software system that allows funds to be deposited per person.

«I put myself in their place and think how terrible it must be to feel you cannot protect your children,» Revkin explained. She said this to BBC Mundo.

Her first deposit was US$50 for the family of a sick baby. Today, the weekly figure is around US$10,000, according to what she told that media outlet.

«We estimate that we are covering that way about 80% of those in Dilley,» Revkin asserted. The money comes primarily from donations raised by her organization.

What do other migrant advocates think about this work?

Kristin Etter, attorney at Texas Immigration Law Council, described Revkin forcefully. «She is a fairy godmother,» Etter told BBC Mundo.

«People really couldn’t survive without her,» emphasized the attorney, who works pro bono in Dilley. She also criticized the cost of maintaining the detention system.

«It is outrageous that U.S. taxpayers are spending US$15 million a month to arrest children,» Etter told BBC Mundo. She questioned the reliance on a private citizen to cover basic needs.

What does CoreCivic, the company that administers Dilley, respond?

CoreCivic, the private company that manages the center, rejected the allegations. «CoreCivic has been associated with the federal government for 40 years… to provide safe and humane care,» responded its spokesman Ryan Gustin, in writing to BBC Mundo.

Gustin clarified that the company