Dozens of individuals detained at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Texas have reported experiencing or witnessing frequent beatings by guards, according to a joint report by Human Rights Watch and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
The 84-page report states that detainees at Camp East Montana, located at Fort Bliss in El Paso, also recounted being denied necessary medical care, forced to live in unsanitary conditions, and fed inedible meals. Many also reported being prevented from contacting their lawyers or families.
Over a five-month period, researchers interviewed 71 detainees. Of those, 64 individuals, approximately 90%, claimed they had personally been assaulted by staff or observed others being physically abused. "ICE’s Camp East Montana is a human rights disaster," said Angélica César, a fellow at Human Rights Watch and the ACLU and a lead researcher for the report. "The U.S. government should shut it down, conduct independent investigations into all abuses and deaths in custody, and put an end to mass deportations and mandatory immigration detention."
The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
These accounts align with previous reports of violence and substandard living conditions at the facility. At least three detainees have died at Camp East Montana since its opening in August. One case involved a 55-year-old Cuban migrant who died after being handcuffed and held down by guards, with a medical examiner later ruling the death a homicide. A federal report indicated that evidence in that case was missing or destroyed and found that mismanagement by the Department of Homeland Security contributed to unsafe conditions and detainee deaths.
In March, ICE replaced Acquisition Logistics, LLC, the primary contractor responsible for building and managing the camp under a deal worth up to $1.3 billion. The company had no prior experience running an ICE detention facility and had never secured a federal contract exceeding $16 million.
An internal ICE review documented 49 deficiencies, defined as violations of detention standards or policies, in areas including the use of force, security, and medical care, prior to the contractor change. Despite the contractor replacement, interviews conducted by Human Rights Watch and the ACLU as recently as last month indicated that serious problems persist at the camp.
Detainees described degrading living conditions, including bathrooms covered in feces, flooded housing units, and a lack of access to soap and other hygiene supplies. They also reported being confined indoors for weeks without meaningful access to recreation, sunlight, or fresh air. Food was often described as spoiled, with inconsistent meal schedules and delays of up to 12 hours between meals.
The report details guards allegedly beating detainees in response to hunger strikes, medical requests, or complaints about detention conditions. Some detainees reported collective punishment, where multiple individuals were assaulted after one detainee was accused of violating rules.
Researchers also found that staff allegedly pressured detainees to abandon their immigration claims or accept removal to third countries under threat of violence, criminal prosecution, or indefinite detention. In some instances, the report concluded, the conditions of detention could constitute enforced disappearances, a violation of international human rights law.
Human Rights Watch and the ACLU urged the Trump administration to close Camp East Montana and allow independent investigations into deaths in custody, excessive force, medical neglect, and enforced disappearances. César stated, "People at Camp East Montana are human beings who deserve to be treated with dignity and protected from harm."