Four detainees at the largest Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in the U.S. filed a federal lawsuit on Saturday, alleging human rights abuses, 'horrific' conditions, and 'severe medical neglect' at Camp East Montana on the U.S. Army's Fort Bliss military base in El Paso, Texas. The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, describes a litany of abuse allegations, including a lack of medical care, physical violence by guards, squalid living conditions, spoiled food, inadequate hygiene products, disease outbreaks, and limited access to sunlight. The plaintiffs are seeking class-action status for the legal challenge on behalf of themselves, all current detainees, and future detainees at the facility.
The lawsuit alleges that guards at the facility have subjected detainees to severe beatings, sexual harassment, and solitary confinement. One named plaintiff, Gerald Akari Angye, claims he was beaten so severely he required hospitalization and was then placed in solitary confinement for 15 days. The complaint also highlights the facility's failure to provide adequate medical care, including for detainees with chronic conditions like cancer and HIV. The facility has been operational for nearly a year and has seen at least three reported detainee deaths, a measles outbreak, and nearly 50 detention standards violations as reported by ICE's own inspectors.
The lawsuit was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the ACLU of Texas, the Texas Civil Rights Project, and law firm Farella Braun + Martel. The legal organizations allege that conditions at the facility violate detainees' constitutional rights, including due process under the Fifth Amendment. The complaint also notes that ICE switched the facility's prime operator in March to a more experienced contractor, but the situation has reportedly continued to deteriorate, with additional complaints such as hazardous dust exposure.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the parent agency of ICE, and ICE have not yet publicly commented on the lawsuit. The facility has been the subject of calls for closure from immigrant advocates and Democratic lawmakers, who have cited the numerous reports of abuse and inadequate conditions.