Human Rights Groups Report Abuse at Camp East Montana

A new report from two major human rights organizations details extensive allegations of abuse, medical neglect, and inhumane conditions at the largest immigration detention facility in the United States. The joint report from Human Rights Watch and the American Civil Liberties Union, released on July 15, 2026, is based on interviews with 71 people detained at Camp East Montana, a facility for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainees located at the Fort Bliss Army Base near El Paso, Texas.

The 84-page document alleges a pattern of serious human rights violations. Detainees reported routine beatings by guards, chronic malnutrition, and being forced to live in squalid conditions. They described bathrooms covered in feces and urine, housing units flooded with dirty water, and a lack of basic hygiene supplies like soap. Many said they were denied necessary medical care, with one woman allegedly at risk of permanent blindness after being refused emergency treatment. The report also states that detainees were often prevented from contacting lawyers or family members, with some circumstances potentially amounting to enforced disappearance under international law.