Ms. Rachel is teaching the adults this time.

The popular children’s YouTuber and advocate appeared Monday on MS NOW’s “The Beat” to share what she’s learned from talking to seven families detained at the now-notorious Dilley Immigration Processing Center in Texas — the largest detention center in the U.S. for children and families — and it sounds pretty bleak.

Ms. Rachel, who’s real name is Rachel Griffin Accurso, began by listing a few, but horrific, conditions detainees have told her they have to endure on a daily basis.

“It’s heartbreaking talking to the kids and their families,” she began. “They’re talking about water that they can’t even drink, that makes them sick. There’s been worms in the food; the food’s rotten sometimes. And what really frightens me is the dangerously inadequate medical care in medical emergencies.”

Accurso pointed out that food, water and access to emergency medical care are “basic human rights,” especially for children.

“We can all agree not to harm and abuse children,” Accurso continued. “It’s not who we want to be. And I’m kind of in shock about what I’m hearing, and I don’t think people really know what’s going on inside of Dilley. And I think if we all know … we can unite over not wanting to harm children.”

MS NOW’s Antonia Hylton agreed with Accurso and pointed out that “not only do our tax dollars” help fund the facility, but it’s also run by CoreCivic, a for-profit private prison company.

“Which, I think about all the time,” Hylton admitted.

This is not the first time that Dilley has made headlines. It was where Liam Conejo Ramos, the 5-year-old boy who was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in Minnesota in January while wearing a blue bunny hat, was sent with his father.

Learning more about Dilley’s inhumane conditions from immigrants who are detained there is precisely what prompted Accurso to start a petition to shut down the facility. As of Tuesday afternoon, the Change.org petition has been signed by more than 250,000 people, including Madonna, Pedro Pascal, Jane Fonda, Javier Bardem, Keke Palmer, Mark Ruffalo and dozens of other celebrities, as well as filmmakers, physicians, organizations and policy experts.

The petition also offers more allegations about the concerning conditions at Dilley, including “sleep deprivation, denial of legal counsel, the separation of children from their families, and retaliation against families protesting the inhumane conditions.”

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