A coalition of civil and human rights organizations is calling for the closure of a massive immigration detention facility at Fort Bliss, Texas, alleging guards have beaten detainees and threatened violence, criminal charges and imprisonment in attempts to coerce even non-Mexican migrants into crossing the border into Mexico.
The groups, including the ACLU and Human Rights Watch, sent a letter Dec. 8 to federal officials detailing the allegations based on interviews with more than 45 detainees. They describe guards using physical force, including abusive sexual contact, against immigrants who refused third-country deportations.
The letter also alleges detainees face insufficient food, medical neglect, squalid conditions with sewage flooding living areas, and weeks without outdoor access.
The tent facility, erected months ago on a former Japanese American internment camp site within the Fort Bliss complex, dubbed “Camp East Montana,” currently holds over 2,700 people. An internal inspection by Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) in September found at least 60 violations of federal standards within its first 50 days of operation, according to the human rights groups.
Last month, Democratic Rep. Veronica Escobar of Texas protested that detainees at the camp were receiving foul-tasting water and rotten food.
From JURIST, Dec. 8. Used with permission.
Note: A Guatemalan immigrant held at Camp East Montana died last week in an El Paso hospital. Francisco Gaspar Andres, 48, was pronounced dead on Dec. 3, an ICE news release stated. The official cause of death is pending, but officials state it was likely because of “natural liver and kidney failure.” (El Paso Times)
Fort Bliss was first opened as an emergency holding facility under the Biden administration.
See our last reports on Trump’s detention state and the struggle in Texas.
See our last report on the World War II-era internment of the Japanese Americans.
Photo via Border Report
Detained immigrants reach new record under Trump
The number of immigrants confined in federal detention facilities has surged past 65,000, perhaps the highest figure ever and a two-thirds increase since President Donald Trump took office in January. The new figure is up from 39,238 when Trump was inaugurated, as his administration quickly undertook an unprecedented campaign to arrest, detain, and deport immigrants. (Philadelphia Inquirer)
While many are held by ICE, a broader detention network is coming together. Through threats and incentives, the administration has conscripted local jails, federal prisons and private companies to detain immigrants. (The Marshall Project)
GAO report: mismanagement, dangerous conditions at ICE facility
The GAO found that the facility, which has housed thousands of migrants beginning in January 2025, experienced widespread operational problems, including staffing shortages, poor sanitation, inadequate medical care, and weak oversight of contracted parties. Investigators concluded that federal officials approved significant expenditures despite evidence that the services were not being delivered effectively. The report documented instances in which detainees faced delayed medical treatment and other conditions that increased health and safety risks.
Additional concerns were raised in an inspection conducted by the ICE Office of Detention Oversight, which identified numerous violations of detention standards, including issues related to healthcare, security procedures, and facility management. The findings suggest that the problems continued despite federal oversight mechanisms intended to ensure detainee safety.
The GAO report documented deaths at the facility that were found to be indicative of serious safety failures. One detainee death report concerned Victor Manuel Diaz, a Nicaraguan migrant at the facility who apparently failed to receive adequate treatment despite obvious distress.
GAO officials stated the lessons learned from Camp East Montana should inform future operations and contracting decisions. The reports have renewed debate over contractor accountability, government oversight, and the treatment of individuals held in immigration detention facilities. (Jurist)