‘You’re only getting out deported or dead’: Inhumane conditions at ICE facilities linked to deaths

Javier arrived at Camp East Montana, an immigration detention facility in El Paso, Texas, and learned a harsh truth - there was no escape except deportation or death. This facility, opened in the Texas desert in August, is the largest and most inadequate ICE facility in the country, as revealed by a class action lawsuit filed by the Texas Civil Rights Project.

Detainee Navdeep recounted enduring filthy clothes for three weeks and sewage seeping into his sleeping quarters, while Ivan Rodriguez Flores spent 23 hours a day in a windowless tent. Human Rights Watch and the American Civil Liberties Union's report on the camp corroborates these accounts of inhumane conditions. Ismael, a 28-year-old from Honduras, suffered depressive episodes and suicidal thoughts due to the lack of proper psychological support and basic hygiene supplies.

Overcrowding and a lack of ventilation in these tents, which can house over 70 people, contributed to a toxic environment. Detainees also reported beatings and denied medical attention. Over 1.2 billion US dollars worth of no-bid contract with Amentum Services, the firm running the camp, was extended through September 2027 by ICE, despite the facility's dire conditions.