ACLU Sues ICE to Shut $1.24 Billion Camp East Montana Over Abuse Claims
Updated
Updated · KVIA · May 30
ACLU Sues ICE to Shut $1.24 Billion Camp East Montana Over Abuse Claims
3 articles · Updated · KVIA · May 30
A 78-page federal lawsuit asks a Texas court to stop ICE from operating Camp East Montana until it meets detention standards, targeting what plaintiffs call the first class action against the nation’s largest immigration detention center.
February inspection findings cited dozens of violations that allegedly exposed detainees to excessive force, disease and unsafe conditions; the complaint also describes a measles outbreak that infected at least 14 people.
Four detainees say guards beat them, used solitary confinement punitively and pressured them to sign removal papers; one plaintiff says he was hospitalized after insisting on speaking with a lawyer.
The Fort Bliss tent facility opened in August under Trump’s mass deportation push, held about 2,500 people in early April, and has faced mounting scrutiny after three deaths, including one ruled a homicide involving staff.
Without a federal watchdog, who is policing the conditions inside America's largest immigration camp?
Is the U.S. using harsh detention as a tool to make immigrants abandon their legal rights?
As detainee deaths hit a 22-year high, what is the true cost of current immigration policies?
Camp East Montana Under Fire: Class Action Lawsuit Exposes Systemic Abuses and Contractor Oversight Failures in ICE’s Largest Facility
Overview
On May 30, 2026, major civil rights groups filed a class action lawsuit against ICE over severe abuses at Camp East Montana. The lawsuit followed months of growing concern about the facility’s deteriorating conditions, including excessive force, medical neglect, and dehumanizing treatment of detainees. Specific complaints included physical and sexual abuse, lack of food, denial of legal access, and exposure to hazardous dust. Tragically, three detainees died within a year, with one reportedly beaten to death by guards after asking for his inhaler. These events highlight a pattern of systemic failures and urgent calls for accountability.