A coalition of legal and civil rights groups filed a federal lawsuit late Friday against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), challenging the conditions at Camp East Montana, the largest immigration detention center in the United States, located in El Paso.
“Camp East Montana represents a profound violation of civil rights,” stated Kyle Virgien, a senior staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union’s National Prison Project. “This lawsuit aims to prevent any other individual from suffering the inhumane treatment that our clients have endured under the previous administration.”
In response, a spokesperson from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) dismissed the allegations of inhumane conditions as “categorically false.” They emphasized that the safety, security, and well-being of those in ICE custody are top priorities.
The lawsuit, lodged by the ACLU of Texas, the national ACLU, the Texas Civil Rights Project, and the law firm Farella Braun + Martel, comes less than a year after the camp’s establishment. Since its opening, the facility has recorded at least three detainee deaths, including one homicide, a nearly month-long outbreak of measles, and almost 50 violations of detention standards identified by ICE’s own inspectors, prompting demands for the camp’s closure from immigrant advocates and Democratic lawmakers.
In December, the civil rights organizations alleged that detained immigrants faced medical neglect, physical and sexual abuse by staff, inadequate food supplies, and limited access to legal counsel. In an effort to address these issues, ICE replaced the facility’s main operator with a more experienced contractor, pledging to enhance services, including medical care. However, in a letter to ICE dated May 22, the groups indicated that conditions had “continued to deteriorate,” citing further complaints, including exposure to hazardous dust.
The lawsuit argues that the conditions within the facility amount to “unconstitutional punishment” and violate the due process rights of detainees as outlined in the Fifth Amendment. “These conditions are longstanding, pervasive, and well-documented, and the defendants’ ongoing inaction in light of known risks demonstrates their deliberate indifference to the constitutional rights of detainees,” the lawsuit asserts.
DHS broadly rejected these claims, reiterating assertions that ICE provides the best healthcare many immigrants have ever received and maintains higher detention standards than most U.S. prisons housing citizens. The spokesperson also stated that no detainees are subjected to violence or abuse and confirmed that all detainees receive three meals daily, which are reviewed by dietitians.
The lawsuit, which seeks class action status on behalf of four detainees, aims to extend its coverage to all individuals currently or future detained at Camp East Montana. One of the plaintiffs, Gerald Akari Angye, characterized the conditions at the camp as “inhumane and cruel.”
Angye, a 35-year-old former high school teacher from Cameroon, fled his home country following kidnapping and torture related to a separatist conflict. After entering the U.S. through a New Mexico port in December 2024, he sought asylum but had his application denied by an immigration judge, prompting him to file an appeal.
In a statement from the civil rights groups, Angye recounted his experiences at Camp East Montana, including instances of being beaten and facing conditions he never imagined he would encounter in the United States, such as a 15-day stint in solitary confinement. “No one deserves such cruel treatment,” he stated. “We are all humans and deserve to be treated as such.”
U.S. Representative Veronica Escobar expressed her gratitude for the legal challenge, labeling Camp East Montana as “a purgatory for human beings.” The El Paso Democrat, a prominent critic of the facility, affirmed her commitment to continue oversight visits and advocate for its permanent closure.
Opened in August 2025, Camp East Montana is situated on the Fort Bliss U.S. Army base and is projected to accommodate up to 5,000 detainees. As of April 2, the facility had an average daily population exceeding 2,500, making it the largest immigrant detention center in fiscal year 2026, according to findings from the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University.
“Camp East Montana is at the forefront of the administration’s harsh deportation policies,” stated Savannah Kumar, a staff attorney with the ACLU of Texas.
