Lawsuit Filed Over Detention Conditions at Texas Facility
The first lawsuit concerning the largest immigrant detention center in the United States was filed early Saturday morning against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The complaint accuses the agency of maintaining “appalling” conditions that significantly violate the human and constitutional rights of those detained at the facility in Texas.
Several legal organizations have joined forces in a class action lawsuit, naming four detainees as plaintiffs on behalf of themselves and all individuals currently or potentially held as civil detainees at Camp East Montana.
Situated at El Paso’s Fort Bliss military base, Camp East Montana is a sprawling tent camp where migrants have been housed since the federal government hastily erected tents last August. The lawsuit alleges that the conditions within the camp are not only “dangerous and abusive” but also “degrading,” highlighting various injustices faced by detainees, including:
- Abominable medical and mental health care
- Inappropriate use of force
- Indiscriminate use of solitary confinement
- Inadequate and spoiled food
- Outbreaks of disease
- An unsanitary living environment
- Sexual harassment by security personnel
The Guardian reached out to ICE’s parent agency, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), for comments regarding the allegations. According to the lawsuit, “In the ten months since it opened, this facility has become notorious for the blatant human rights abuses endured by individuals in its custody. Detainees are confined to windowless enclosures and subjected to severe mistreatment by guards.”
The complaint details that detainees receive “abhorrent medical and psychiatric care,” especially those with chronic conditions like cancer and HIV. It accuses the facility of employing solitary confinement as a punishment for victims of abuse, all while exposing detainees to illnesses such as measles and tuberculosis. Alarmingly, three deaths have reportedly occurred at Camp East Montana within less than a year.
The class action suit was filed in federal court in El Paso, Texas, by advocacy groups representing detainee plaintiffs Gerardo Akari Angie, Navdeep, Eric Ivan Rodriguez Flores, and ZOR (pseudonyms). The plaintiffs are suing the DHS and its director, Markwayne Mullin, as well as ICE and its acting director, Todd Lyons, among others.
As of this year, Camp East Montana has been holding an average of 2,505 people daily, with the capacity to detain up to 5,000 individuals. The camp has become emblematic of the rapid increase in immigrant detentions under former President Donald Trump’s administration, which has also coincided with a troubling rise in deaths—including a disturbing number of suicides—at facilities nationwide.
The complaint states, “Camp East Montana reflects ICE’s broader strategy to intensify enforcement measures while expanding its detention network, resulting in a significant financial investment of taxpayer dollars into new facilities.” It further alleges that ICE has systematically dismantled oversight mechanisms designed to ensure acceptable living conditions in these facilities, effectively preventing lawful congressional visits.
DHS officials have previously dismissed claims regarding poor conditions at Camp East Montana, labeling them “patently false” despite ample documentation. The allegations center on inadequate food quality and quantity, insufficient medical care, unsafe conditions, and lack of access to legal counsel.
One of the plaintiffs, Gerald Akari Angie from Cameroon, has stated that he faced torture in his home country. Represented by the Texas Civil Rights Project’s Cross-Border Program, he described his shock at the brutal treatment he has received at Camp East Montana. “I never anticipated being treated so violently by guards here in the United States,” he said, detailing incidents of severe physical abuse that left him requiring a wheelchair.
Furthermore, the complaint outlines the deteriorating mental health of detainees, many of whom report feelings of dehumanization and suicidal thoughts due to their circumstances. The lawsuit asserts that only 20% of those held at Camp East Montana have criminal backgrounds, emphasizing that immigration violations are civil infractions. The punitive conditions allegedly serve to intimidate immigrants and dissuade them from pursuing their legal rights to remain in the United States.
This litigation has been brought forth by a coalition including the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas, the national ACLU, Human Rights Watch, the law firm Farella Brown + Martell LLP, and the Texas Civil Rights Project. Lawyers argue that these conditions violate the Fifth Amendment and the Administrative Procedure Act, with Kyle Bergian, a senior staff attorney for the ACLU’s National Prison Project, labeling the facility a “civil rights disaster.”
The lawsuit aims for accountability, calling for justice for the individuals who have suffered within the facility, including those who have lost their lives and others exposed to egregious conditions without access to medical care.
