Key facts
- Dozens of detainees at ICE's Camp East Montana in Texas reported beatings by guards or witnessed others being beaten.
- The report also details allegations of denied medical care, filthy conditions, inedible meals, and restricted communication.
- At least three detainees have died at the facility since it opened, including one whose death was ruled a homicide.
- A previous federal report found mismanagement by the Department of Homeland Security contributed to detainee deaths and suffering.
- Detainees reported being pressured to abandon immigration claims and accept removal to third countries under threat of violence.
Dozens of individuals detained at a sprawling Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Texas have reported experiencing or witnessing frequent beatings by guards, according to a new report released by Human Rights Watch and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). The 84-page report, based on interviews with 71 detainees over five months, details allegations of physical abuse, denial of necessary medical care, unsanitary living conditions, inedible meals, and restrictions on contacting legal counsel or family members at Camp East Montana, located at Fort Bliss in El Paso. According to the report, approximately 90% of the interviewed detainees, or 64 individuals, stated they had either been personally assaulted by staff or had seen others physically abused. Researchers also found that staff allegedly pressured detainees into abandoning their immigration claims and accepting deportation to third countries, threatening them with violence, prosecution, or indefinite detention if they refused. These new accounts are consistent with previous reporting on the facility, which has been operational since August. At least three detainees have died at Camp East Montana, including a Cuban migrant whose death was ruled a homicide after evidence was reportedly missing or destroyed. A federal report indicated that mismanagement by the Department of Homeland Security contributed to unsafe conditions and detainee suffering. In response to documented deficiencies, ICE replaced Acquisition Logistics, LLC, the initial contractor for the facility, in March. However, the report indicates that serious problems have persisted despite the change in management. Human rights advocates are calling for the closure of Camp East Montana and independent investigations into the alleged abuses, excessive force, medical neglect, and potential enforced disappearances.