“한 달 넘게 햇볕 못 쪼여” “방으로 화장실 오수 들어와”

Habiter, an immigrant, recounted his harrowing experience at the Camp East Montana detention facility in El Paso, Texas, during a 2022 interview with Human Rights Watch. He described the extreme racial discrimination he endured within the facility, which is considered the largest and worst-performing ICE detention center in the United States. The facility, which opened in Texas' desert in August 2022, has been the subject of a lawsuit by Texas Civil Rights Project and other groups.

Camp East Montana inmates suffered severe hardships, including sharing the same clothes for three weeks, having human waste from the bathroom seep into their sleeping spaces, and drinking dirty water when cups were unavailable. One inmate, Nabedip, testified about going without a change of clothes for three weeks, while another, Ivan Rodriguez, described being locked in a tent for 23 hours a day with no windows.

Two detainees, Cuban and Nicaraguan nationals, died in January, with one reportedly attempting suicide and the other committing suicide.

Human Rights Watch, ACLU, and other organizations have documented cases of psychological distress and suicide attempts due to the inhumane conditions. One immigrant, Ismael from Honduras, described feeling suicidal and overwhelmed after five months of being imprisoned without exposure to sunlight, poor ventilation, and basic hygiene essentials. The overcrowded and unsanitary tent-like structures, housing up to 70 inmates, often resulted in waste from the bathroom flooding into communal areas, including meal spaces.

The financial incentives for detention centers to maintain high inmate populations are evident, with many contracts tied to a "minimum guaranteed capacity" clause. As a result, even when inmate numbers decrease, facilities must find ways to keep or increase their capacity to generate profits. The Human Rights Watch and ACLU are calling for the closure of Camp East Montana, citing the deplorable conditions and the resulting deaths.

However, the agency extended the facility's contract to September 30, 2024, with the contracting company set to receive $120 million in revenue for the period.