Rachel Accurso, widely known as Ms. Rachel, is calling for the closure of a Texas immigration detention center after speaking with children held inside and hearing troubling accounts about their living conditions.

The children's educator said she is now working with lawyers and immigration advocates to shut down the Dilley Immigration Processing Center, where families, including young children, are being held.

Her push comes after emotional conversations with detained kids who described poor food, limited schooling, and distressing conditions.

Accurso said the issue became personal after she spoke with a 9-year-old boy, Deiver Henao Jiménez, who is being held at the facility with his parents.

According to DailyMail, during a video call, the child told her the food made his stomach hurt and that he wanted "to leave and go to the spelling bee."

"It was unbelievably surreal to see this sweet little face and feel like I was on a call with somebody who's in jail," Accurso said. "It broke me, and it was something I never thought I'd encounter in life."

She added, "We're trying to get a child out of a jail to do a spelling bee. I just never thought those words would go together."

Rachel Accurso Speaks Out as 2,300 Kids

Reports say more than 2,300 children have been detained with their parents following stricter immigration enforcement policies.

Many of them are housed at the Dilley center, where complaints include constant lighting, limited access to education, and poor-quality food.

Accurso also spoke with another child, a 5-year-old named Gael, who is nonverbal and was undergoing an autism evaluation before being detained with his parents.

Since arriving at the facility, his condition has worsened, Deadline reported.

His family reported that he has become increasingly distressed and has started hurting himself, behavior they had not seen before.

"Treating a child this way is a crime," Accurso said. "It's neglect and child abuse."

The educator said she first learned about the facility after a separate case involving a 5-year-old boy, Liam Conejo Ramos, and his father, who were detained and later sent to the Texas center. That moment pushed her to speak out more publicly.

While many supporters have praised her advocacy, others have criticized her for stepping into a political issue. Accurso acknowledged the reaction but stood firm on her stance.

"I am political," she said. "It's political to believe that children are worthy of love and care, and that every child is equal."

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