Detainees File Lawsuit Against Camp East Montana ICE Facility

Four detainees have filed a federal class-action lawsuit against the nation’s largest Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center, alleging that the facility subjects individuals to "flagrant human rights abuses" and inhumane living conditions [1]. The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, names ICE, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the Department of Defense as defendants [1, 2].

Key takeaways

• The lawsuit alleges that detainees at the Camp East Montana facility face physical beatings, sexual assault, and the denial of medical care [1].
• Plaintiffs report squalid conditions, including overcrowding, inadequate food, and exposure to infectious diseases like measles and tuberculosis [1, 2].
• The lawsuit claims three people died at the facility between December 2025 and January 2026 [1].
• DHS officials have labeled the allegations "categorically false," asserting that the facility meets or exceeds national detention standards [1, 2].

Allegations of Abuse and Neglect

The 78-page lawsuit details accounts from four plaintiffs—Gerald Akari Angye, Navdeep, Erik Ivan Rodriguez Flores, and a detainee using the pseudonym ZOR—who describe a "dire" daily existence at the tent-based facility located on the Fort Bliss military base [1, 2]. ZOR, who has been held for eight months, alleges that guards threw away his crucifix, failed to intervene when he was beaten by another detainee, and repeatedly attempted to coerce his removal to Mexico despite a court order prohibiting his deportation [1]. Another plaintiff, Navdeep, claims he was forced into solitary confinement after his preexisting injuries prevented him from placing his hands behind his back to be cuffed [1].

Beyond individual accounts, the legal filing highlights systemic issues, including the use of windowless tent enclosures that often hold 50 to 70 people despite a capacity limit of 30 [1]. The plaintiffs also report that the facility has struggled with outbreaks of measles and tuberculosis, leading to periods where the camp was closed to visitors and attorneys [1, 2]. While the lawsuit cites three deaths at the facility within a six-week span, the government has disputed claims regarding a spike in deaths in custody [1, 2].

Official Response and Facility Standards

In response to the filing, the Department of Homeland Security issued a statement denying the allegations of abuse and medical neglect [2]. DHS Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis stated that the facility is subject to regular audits and inspections to ensure compliance with performance-based national detention standards [1].

The government maintains that detainees are provided with quality water, blankets, and proper meals, and that the facility’s standards are higher than those of most U.S. prisons holding citizens [1, 2]. Regarding the reported disease outbreaks, a DHS spokesperson confirmed that 14 detainees tested positive for measles in March 2026 but noted that the facility took immediate steps to quarantine and control the spread [2].

Why it matters

The lawsuit represents a significant legal challenge to the operations of the largest ICE detention center in the United States, which was established as a tent camp in August 2025 [2]. By filing as a class action, the plaintiffs seek to address the conditions not only for themselves but for all individuals currently or prospectively held at the site [2]. The case brings intense scrutiny to the federal government's use of military bases for immigration detention and highlights the ongoing tension between advocacy groups and federal agencies over the treatment of civil detainees [1, 2].