The agency is so understaffed that teens have reported spending up to 23 hours locked in their cells, using water bottles to go to the bathroom. A staggering number have hurt themselves or been placed on suicide watch.
The department doesn’t have enough staff to keep minors safe or deal with increasing suicidal behavior. Gov. Greg Abbott recently shifted millions of dollars from the long-troubled agency to his controversial border security mission.
Acknowledging substantive questions about Lucio’s guilt and the fairness of her conviction, the appeals court blocked her Wednesday execution so the case can be further investigated.
Months after the problems became apparent, migrants are still being kept in prison in violation of state laws under Gov. Greg Abbott’s border crackdown.
