Olivia, a 19-year-old asylum seeker from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, has been detained for over four months at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in Texas. She describes each day in detention as feeling like 48 hours, separated from her family and living under constant threat of deportation. Olivia and her family fled political persecution in the DRC, arrived in the US, but after their asylum claim was denied, attempted to go to Canada, where they were apprehended at the border.

The Dilley center, a former medium-security prison, currently holds about 5,600 immigrants, including children. Human rights advocates, pediatricians, and lawmakers have called on the Trump administration to shut down the facility and stop incarcerating children. Olivia is held separately from her family with approximately 225 other single adult women, and has been diagnosed with symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and major depressive disorder.

Olivia detailed life at the center: she cries and screams at night, food is poor, and medical care is limited. Her contact lenses have expired, but she has no access to an optometrist. These conditions have led to a weight loss of 9 kg. Reports by Raíces and Human Rights First documented "widespread due process violations, inhumane conditions, and lasting physical and psychological harm" at Dilley.

Olivia was able to reunite with her family at the center, but after their release in March, she was left alone again. She has been repeatedly told she has a deportation order, despite her asylum case being under appeal. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated that shackling Olivia was within policy and denied separating families, which contradicts her experience.

Olivia's dream is to return to Maine, work as a nurse's assistant, and help children, but she does not know when she will leave Dilley. Her appeal process could take a year, worsening her mental state. Her story highlights the failures of US immigration policy and human rights abuses against asylum seekers.

Source: www.theguardian.com