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28-year-old Honduran man detained five months contemplates hanging himself, told by counselor to wait for his court date

2025 · El Paso, TX, Honduras

Ismael M., a 28-year-old Honduran man who fled after his father was murdered, was detained at Camp East Montana for over five months. He experienced suicidal thoughts due to prolonged detention and inhumane conditions. 'I sometimes look at my bed sheets, and I wonder if it would be easier to hang myself instead of trying to survive this torture,' he said. 'People have died here and no one cares. I've gone a month without seeing the sun. I am forced to live in filth.' An onsite counselor prescribed sleeping pills, told him to do breathing exercises, and suggested he visualize his 'happy place.' 'What good does it do to imagine a happy place?' he responded. 'Sleeping pills won't fix that.'

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