A 5-year-old immigrant boy has been released from federal custody a week after children’s entertainer Ms. Rachel’s video call with the nonverbal boy spread across the U.S.
Now Gael and his parents are returning home to El Paso, Texas, according to NBC News. His parents, who are Colombian asylum-seekers with no criminal record in the U.S., say their child suffers from developmental delays and other medical issues. However, while being held in the remote Dilley Immigration Processing Center in South Texas, his health worsened.
The facility is infamous for abysmal conditions, including allegations of food that contained worms and meat that was uncooked. And Gael reportedly didn’t pass a bowel movement for nine days and struggled to keep food down. At one point, he began hitting himself, according to a statement his parents’ lawyer shared with NBC News.
“No child should be here, regardless of their condition,” Leonardo, Gael’s father, told NBC in Spanish. “Even for us as adults, it’s hard.”
But after Ms. Rachel’s call, they’re back home awaiting their next appointment.
This isn’t the only call the children's entertainer, whose real name is Rachel Accurso, has made. Since discovering the horrid conditions at Dilley through the detainment of 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos, Ms. Rachel started reaching out to kids who were being detained.
“It was unbelievably surreal to see this sweet little face and feel like I was on a call with somebody who’s in jail,” Ms. Rachel told NBC News following a conversation with a boy who wanted to return home so he could compete in his school spelling bee. “It broke me, and it was something I never thought I’d encounter in life.”
In January, nearly 500 children were being held inside Dilley, according to The New York Times. That number has reportedly fallen to around 50 today.
And Dilley’s horrid conditions aren’t a secret anymore. Multiple 911 calls coming out of the facility revealed dire situations for the children, including a 17-month-old and 22-month-old both suffering from respiratory distress.
But Ms. Rachel, whose educational videos have made her one of the most famous and beloved content creators for children, has made it a point to show up for all children regardless of how much blowback she might be receiving.
In particular, the creator got plenty of flak for her outspoken views on Israel’s attacks on the Gaza Strip, speaking in defense for the lives of Palestinian children. "I see all children as precious and equal,” she has repeatedly said.
People across the country have been protesting against the nightmarish conditions inside ICE facilities, including Dilley, for months now. And Ms. Rachel has vowed to use her platform as a means to get Dilley closed once and for all.
“Treating a child this way is a crime,” Ms. Rachel told NBC News. “It’s neglect and child abuse.”
Alix Breeden March 25, 2026 at 10:30PM From Daily Kos
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