Man beaten and coerced to sign deportation papers at Fort Bliss tent camp, civil rights groups sue
May 30, 2026 · El Paso, TX

Erik Ivan Rodriguez was detained at Camp East Montana, a tent detention facility at Fort Bliss military base in El Paso, Texas. While detained, he experienced physical violence by officers who attempted to coerce him to sign deportation papers. Rodriguez and three other detainees filed a class-action lawsuit through the ACLU of Texas and partner civil rights organizations in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, challenging inhumane detention conditions including medical neglect, disease outbreaks, inadequate food, unsanitary living conditions, excessive solitary confinement, and violent use of force.
Timeline
Unknown—Erik Ivan Rodriguez detained at Camp East Montana tent facility at Fort Bliss military base in El Paso
Unknown—Rodriguez experienced physical violence by officers who attempted to coerce him to sign deportation papers; subjected to medical neglect and inhumane detention conditions
Unknown—ACLU of Texas and partner organizations filed class-action lawsuit on behalf of Rodriguez and three other detainees in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas
Sources
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