The largest immigration detention site in the United States, Camp East Montana in El Paso has become the center of a federal lawsuit filed by several civil rights groups. The complaint, brought by the ACLU of Texas, the national ACLU, the Texas Civil Rights Project and the law firm Farella Braun + Martel, contends that conditions inside the tent complex amount to unconstitutional treatment of people held there.
The plaintiffs describe a range of harms documented since the camp began operating, including at least three detainee deaths, a prolonged measles outbreak, and nearly 50 violations identified by ICE inspectors. The suit asks a federal court to allow a class action covering current and future detainees and characterizes the situation as deliberate indifference to detainees’ constitutional rights.
Allegations and legal claims
The complaint asserts that camp conditions constitute unconstitutional punishment in violation of the Fifth Amendment. Lawyers for the plaintiffs argue that failures in medical care, instances of abuse by staff, restricted access to attorneys, inadequate food and environmental hazards have been persistent and widespread. In legal terms, they contend the government’s actions amount to more than negligence — representing deliberate indifference to the safety and due process rights of people detained.
Included in the filing are earlier communications from the advocacy groups: a December letter outlining alleged neglect and abuse, and a May 22 follow-up letter highlighting further deterioration, including concerns about hazardous dust. The petition seeks injunctive relief and class certification to address systemic practices rather than individual complaints.
Reported incidents inside the camp
Since opening, Camp East Montana has recorded troubling incidents that advocates cite as evidence for urgent reform. The facility has experienced at least three deaths among detainees, one of which has been classified as a homicide. A measles outbreak that lasted nearly a month was also reported. In addition, ICE’s own inspection reports have identified almost 50 detention standards violations, according to the lawsuit, a tally that has driven calls from lawmakers and advocates for the camp’s closure.
Personal accounts and plaintiffs
The petition was filed on behalf of four individuals, including Gerald Akari Angye, a 35-year-old detainee who describes being beaten and placed in solitary confinement for 15 days while held at the camp. Angye, who worked as a high school teacher in Cameroon and says he fled kidnapping and torture tied to regional conflict, arrived seeking asylum after crossing through a New Mexico port of entry in December 2026. An immigration judge denied his claim, and he appealed. In statements provided by counsel, Angye called the conditions he witnessed “inhumane and cruel.”
Advocates and elected officials weigh in
Advocacy organizations argue that Camp East Montana embodies a wider enforcement strategy that prioritizes detention and removal. ACLU attorneys described the facility as a civil rights catastrophe, while local Representative Veronica Escobar called it a “purgatory for human beings” and pledged continued oversight and a push for permanent closure.
Government response and operational changes
The Department of Homeland Security and ICE have broadly denied the accusations, calling claims of mistreatment “categorically false” and reiterating that the agency prioritizes detainee safety and health. DHS spokespeople have stated that ICE provides high-quality medical care and that detainees receive three dietitian-reviewed meals a day, adding that detainees are not being beaten or abused.
Operationally, ICE replaced the camp’s original prime contractor in March with a more experienced operator and said it would work to raise service standards, particularly for medical care. Despite that change, the civil rights groups reported in their May 22 letter that conditions continued to decline, which formed part of the basis for filing the lawsuit.
Scale and context
Camp East Montana opened in August 2026 on the Fort Bliss Army base and is designed to reach an eventual capacity of 5,000 beds. Public ICE data showed an average daily population of more than 2,500 detainees as of April 2. Observers note the site has held the largest number of detained immigrants so far in fiscal year 2026, according to Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC) data.
The lawsuit frames the camp as emblematic of nationwide detention policies and seeks broad remedies to prevent future harm. Whether a federal court will allow the case to proceed as a class action and how quickly judges might act remain open questions, but the filing ensures intensive scrutiny of operations at Camp East Montana will continue in the courts and the public eye.
