Detainees sue ICE over abuse, disease, and deaths at Fort Bliss tent camp
May 31, 2026·Location: El Paso, TX
Country of origin: Cuba
The ACLU, civil rights organizations, and individual detainees filed a federal lawsuit against ICE and DHS challenging conditions at Camp East Montana, the largest immigration detention center in the U.S., located at Fort Bliss military base in El Paso, Texas. The complaint alleges physical abuse by guards, inadequate medical care, solitary confinement, disease exposure including a measles outbreak, and nearly 50 violations of detention standards. At least three detainees have died since the facility opened nine months prior, including a Cuban immigrant ruled to have died from asphyxia due to neck and torso compression. Named plaintiffs Navdeep, a former mail handler, and ZOR, a father detained over eight months, detailed specific conditions including contaminated water, inadequate drinking water access, breathing problems from desert dust, lack of medical care, and family separation.
Timeline
Sources
- Inhumane conditions at ICE detention camp, lawsuit says
abc.net.au·May 31, 2026·archived copy
- Immigrant detainees sue over 'horrific' conditions at Texas ICE facility
- ICE sued over “inhumane” conditions at Camp East Montana
Texas Tribune·May 30, 2026·archived copy
- ACLU of Texas, Partners File Lawsuit Over Immigration Detention Conditions at Camp East Montana in El Paso’s Fort Bliss Military Base - ACLU of Texas
- Immigrant detainees sue over 'horrific' conditions at Texas ICE facility
wyomingpublicmedia.org·May 31, 2026·archived copy
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