A federal judge has ordered independent oversight of immigration facilities holding children in Texas, citing concerns that minors have been detained for weeks or even months and allegations of inadequate medical care and poor conditions.

U.S. District Judge Dolly Gee appointed a special master and independent monitor to oversee parts of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Dilley Immigration Processing Center and Customs and Border Protection facilities in the Rio Grande Valley and El Paso, as well as facilities in the San Diego area.

The order is part of a decades-old court decision governing the treatment of immigrant children in federal custody.