Measles Outbreak Quarantines 112 at Texas ICE Facility

A measles outbreak at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in El Paso, Texas, has led to the quarantine of over 100 individuals and a temporary closure to visitors and attorneys, officials and lawmakers reported this week.

The facility, known as Camp East Montana and located on the Fort Bliss Army base, has recorded 14 active cases of the highly contagious disease, prompting the isolation of 112 detainees. U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, whose district includes the site, stated that the center would remain closed to outside visitors and legal counsel until March 19 or 20, limiting detainees' access to in-person attorney consultations. Lawyers representing some detainees described the facility as under lockdown for quarantine measures, though neither ICE nor the Department of Homeland Security confirmed those details when contacted by reporters.

The outbreak follows previous incidents of communicable diseases at the camp, including COVID-19 and tuberculosis, according to Escobar. She noted during oversight visits that staff were not consistently wearing masks or personal protective equipment to prevent the spread of illnesses. Detainees have reported crowded,...