America Platt was in the U.S. for two decades.
She crossed the border when she was nine years old with her mom, fleeing her abusive dad.
She went to school, worked, had a kid here.
But after a couple of low-level run-ins with the law as a young adult,
marijuana possession, an unpaid traffic ticket, she ended up in Prairieland.
It's a U.S.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Alvarado, Texas.
You know, the place, it's dirty.
The holding cell where I was in was as big as a restroom stall.
And there was another girl in there with me.
And, you know, hearing her story that, you know, hey, I've been here for three days.
Like, get ready because I haven't slept.
I haven't been given a blanket.
You know, there's no room for you to sleep.
No privacy either.
You know, you're using the restroom.
And if somebody goes by, like, they can see you.
America says she needed medical care when she got to the detention center.
When I arrived, I was running a fever.
I had an ear infection.