After spending nearly six months detained inside the controversial Dilley immigration detention center in Texas, aspiring nurse Olivia Andre is speaking publicly for the first time about the emotional toll of confinement, fear, and separation from her family.
In an interview with MS Now, the teenager described living in constant fear while detained, saying the experience left her emotionally shattered and hopeless at times.
“Daily I was always scared, afraid. I didn’t know what was going to happen to me,” Andre said. “I was thinking it was the end of my life.”
The young asylum seeker revealed that the uncertainty inside the detention facility became so overwhelming that she sometimes feared for her mental health.
“Sometimes I was thinking to do something crazy,” she said. “I was feeling an emptiness on me that I can never feel before.”
Andre’s release came after advocacy efforts from supporters, including children’s educator Ms Rachel, immigration attorney Elora Mukherjee, and other activists who raised concerns about the treatment of detained migrant families and children.
One of the most emotional moments Andre described was discovering that members of her family were being held inside the same detention center without her knowledge.
For two weeks, she said, she had no information about whether her relatives were alive, safe, or even nearby.
“Listening to my sister’s voice again gave me hope,” Andre recalled. “I just feel that they were there and I can see them and that we can go through everything like family, like we always did.”
Mukherjee, who defended Andre and her family during the interview, sharply criticized how federal officials characterized the teenager following her release.
According to Mukherjee, Andre and her family complied with immigration procedures and are legitimate asylum seekers fleeing severe violence and trauma.
“Olivia is a gem,” Mukherjee said. “She’s a first-year college student studying to become a nurse. She wants to give back to her community.”
The attorney also noted that Andre speaks five languages, regularly attended church before detention, and taught Bible lessons to children in her community in Portland, Maine.
The case has intensified scrutiny on family detention practices in the United States, particularly concerning the psychological impact prolonged detention can have on children and young adults seeking asylum.
Advocates say Andre’s story reflects broader concerns about conditions inside immigration detention centers and the emotional trauma many detainees experience while awaiting legal proceedings.
Even after securing her release, supporters say they remain deeply concerned about the children and families who are still being held inside facilities like Dilley.
