Bishop calls for county to abandon plans for family detention facility

Bishop Michael Mulvey of the Diocese of Corpus Christi on Thursday, June 9, urged the Jim Wells County Commissioners Court not to pursue the creation of a family detention facility in Jim Wells County with Australian for-profit contractor Serco and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Bishop Mulvey was responding to reports that Jim Wells County had been in discussion with DHS about converting La Hacienda Nursing Home in San Diego, closed for a number of years, into a secure detention facility in order to house women and children.

"Family detention, particularly the detention of children, is contrary to the tenets of Catholic social teaching and bringing this practice to Jim Wells County will not better our community,” Bishop Mulvey said.

The bishop said the Diocese of Corpus Christi stands in solidarity with the Texas Catholic Conference in disapproving family detention and the use of for-profit contractors to incarcerate vulnerable families.  

Since 2014, the state of Texas has been the site of the two largest family detention facilities in the country, in Dilley and in Karnes City. The facilities are operated by for profit contractors and incarcerate immigrant mothers and children arriving primarily from Central America. 

The bishops of the United States oppose the detention of immigrant women and children and urges humane treatment of all of God's children as well as the respect of human life and dignity, the bishop said.