"He Never Opened His Eyes" Rep. Jasmine Crockett on What She Saw Inside Dilley Detention Center - CNN Laura Coates Live

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Rep. Jasmine Crockett joins Laura Coates to describe her visit to a federal detention facility where she met five-year-old Liam and his father.

For nearly 30 minutes, Liam never moved. He never opened his eyes. His father told her he wasn’t eating, had been labeled depressed, and kept asking for his mother and when he could go back to school. His pregnant mother has since been hospitalized due to stress.

Crockett explains why what she witnessed was worse than any detention facility she saw as a criminal defense attorney, including reports of children getting sick from the water, families being held far longer than officials claim, and a system that continues to detain people who have no criminal records and were “doing it the right way.”

This is not about politics. This is about children. And it is happening right now. - Aired on 01/29/2026.