Two detainees at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas, have been confirmed with active measles infections, prompting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to halt all movement inside the facility and quarantine those exposed.
The cases were identified late Jan. 31, and the Department of Homeland Security says medical staff and the ICE Health Services Corps are monitoring and isolating contacts to prevent further spread in the federal immigration detention center roughly 70 miles southwest of San Antonio.
The quarantine covers parents and children housed at the facility, which detains families pending immigration proceedings, and officials say proper medical care is being provided to those affected.
The outbreak comes as federal authorities and health officials work to contain infectious diseases in congregate settings, and it follows national reports of rising measles activity in parts of the United States.
"ICE Health Services Corps immediately took steps to quarantine and control further spread and infection, ceasing all movement within the facility and quarantining all individuals suspected of making contact with the infected," DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement, adding:
"Medical staff is continuing to monitor the detainees’ conditions and will take appropriate and active steps to prevent further infection. All detainees are being provided with proper medical care."