Nicola Coughlan, Madonna and Kesha sign open letter demanding closure of ICE detention centre

A coalition of celebrities, including Nicola Coughlan, Madonna, and Kesha, has signed an open letter demanding the immediate closure of the Dilley Immigration Processing Centre, an ICE family detention facility in Texas.

The controversy surrounding the centre is underscored by reports from NBC News, which indicate that over 2,300 children have been held with their parents for extended periods, and complaints include "limited education, lights that never switch off, and mouldy food."

The petition has garnered over 16 thousand signatures. Additional signatories include Gracie Abrams, Ayo Edebiri, Ben Stiller, John Legend, Keke Palmer, Lena Dunham, and Michelle Williams.

“No child should be locked in an immigration detention centre,” reads the letter. “Children held in immigration detention endure trauma, neglect, and conditions that violate basic standards of health, safety, dignity, and human rights. The harms of detaining children are known and well-documented. Court filings of abuse against children have included refusals to provide clean water, rotten food contaminated with worms, dangerous medical neglect, sleep deprivation, denial of legal counsel, the separation of children from their families, and retaliation against families protesting the inhumane conditions. Children belong in schools and on playgrounds, not in detention centres.”

Key demands from the signatories include the immediate closure of the Dilley facility, the return of children and families to their communities, and systemic reforms to ensure these abuses are prevented nationwide, along with transparency and accountability.

Beyond the letter, many artists have actively protested and used their platforms to speak out against ICE. Actors such as Billy Porter, Jane Fonda, Mark Ruffalo, and Pedro Pascal were among the celebrities who protested against the Trump administration and ICE at the recent ‘No Kings’ protest.

The issue has also drawn a strong response from musicians: Bruce Springsteen, Billy Bragg, and Jessie Welles, who have released anti-ICE songs. Artists including Olivia Rodrigo, Sabrina Carpenter, and Radiohead have protested the Department of Homeland Security's use of their music in pro-ICE video content.