ICE Detention in El Paso Faces Severe Violations Amid Reforms

Thu Apr 02 2026 20:43:56 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

A recent report highlights extensive deficiencies at the largest immigration detention facility in the U.S., raising concerns over detainee safety, medical care, and management accountability.

A report from ICE's Office of Detention Oversight outlines 49 violations at Camp East Montana, El Paso's sprawling immigration detention site. Notable issues include inadequate medical care and perceived negligence leading to detainee deaths. The contractor's inexperience exacerbated the situation, prompting governmental changes in management. Lawmakers criticize ICE for failing to prioritize detainee welfare in reform efforts.

A recent inspection at Camp East Montana, the nation’s largest immigration detention facility located in El Paso, Texas, has uncovered a staggering number of safety violations. Conducted by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Office of Detention Oversight, the report revealed 49 deficiencies that could have exposed detainees to excessive force, diseases, and unsafe conditions.

The inspection, mandated by Congress, occurred over three days in February 2023 and is notable for documenting the most deficiencies found at any facility this year, which previously stood at just 13. According to attorney Randall Kallinen, who is representing the family of a detainee who died at the facility, this report paints a dismal picture. Camp East Montana gets an F. It’s very dangerous for detainees, he said, citing concerns over excessive force and inadequate medical care.

Since its opening last summer, Camp East Montana has reportedly been the largest detention site, housing an average of 3,000 detainees daily, primarily men who have not been convicted of any crime. However, reports of medical neglect and other systematic failures have emerged, prompting lawmakers like U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar to vocalize her outrage. Escobar, who has visited the facility multiple times, asserts that the findings are just a drop in the bucket of deeper systemic issues plagued by ICE's negligence.

The report has come as ICE pauses the purchasing of hold warehouses to potentially store thousands more immigrants. Following the findings, a more reliable contractor has now taken over operations at Camp East Montana, but concerns about accountability and improvements remain. Critics, including Escobar, question whether the agency is truly invested in creating systematic change or merely managing the situation as it progresses.

Notably, the report highlighted shoddy practices including unrecorded incidents of force used by staff, unsecured tools and equipment, and insufficient medical responses to serious health conditions. Detainees are reportedly given little recourse for grievances, with sluggish responses to health concerns taking days to address.

In the shadow of these revelations, the road ahead for the facility remains uncertain as advocates continue to call for accountability and a fundamental shift in how ICE manages the welfare of detained individuals.