Recent revelations from Human Rights Watch (HRW) and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) have cast a stark light on the conditions at an immigration detention facility within Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas. A report released by these organizations details a range of human rights violations, including deaths, beatings, and medical neglect, which some argue might constitute enforced disappearances.
As outlined in the 84-page document titled “You’re Only Getting Out Deported or Dead,” based on interviews with 80 detainees, the facility is identified as the largest of its kind in the United States. The camp, known as Camp East Montana, can hold up to 5,000 people, penned together in enclosures reminiscent of tent-like structures. Allegations have surfaced of impermissible and unreported uses of force, posing significant concerns regarding compliance with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Performance-Based National Detention Standards. These standards dictate that civil immigration detention should remain non-punitive, yet current practices suggest otherwise.
One particularly troubling incident highlighted in the report is the death of Gerardo Lunas Campos. Eyewitness accounts indicate that he was asphyxiated by guards while in solitary confinement after requesting medication. His cries of “I can’t breathe” went unheeded, ending in silence. HRW and the ACLU’s findings suggest a pattern of abuses affecting many detainees, who report being arrested despite having lawful presence documentation in the U.S. Moreover, detainees have described being shuffled through various holding facilities without access to family or legal counsel, with ICE systems failing to track their movements.
The situation has led to calls for dramatic reform. Angélica César, Aryeh Neier Fellow at HRW and the ACLU, starkly characterized the facility as a “human rights disaster,” urging the U.S. government to shut the detention center down, investigate the alleged abuses, and reevaluate its immigration detention policies. This joint call has been amplified by the release of another report by HRW documenting an increase in deaths across the nation’s immigration detention facilities.
Despite these findings and appeals, it appears that no official plans to close Camp East Montana or conduct independent investigations have been announced. The report notes that attempts to engage with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Department of Defense, and the facility’s operating contractors were met with silence. Further details on this report can be found in the original publication.