ICE’s Camp East Montana detention center faces lawsuit over abuse and measles outbreak

Civil‑rights groups have filed a federal class‑action lawsuit alleging that ICE’s Camp East Montana detention facility at Fort Bliss, Texas, subjected detainees to violent guard treatment, prolonged solitary confinement, severe medical neglect, unsanitary conditions, inadequate food and a measles outbreak that resulted in at least three deaths. The complaint cites multiple incidents, including a plaintiff from Cameroon who said he was beaten after requesting an inhaler and kept in solitary confinement for 15 days.

Separate health‑official reports confirm that nearly 180 detainees at the camp have been placed under quarantine for possible measles exposure after contact with confirmed cases in Arizona. The quarantine, divided into groups of 130 men and 48 women, began days before local health authorities were notified, raising concerns about delayed communication between federal, state and local agencies. No detainees have shown symptoms, and officials say there is no evidence of measles spreading to the broader El Paso community. ICE and the Department of Homeland Security have denied the abuse allegations, stating that detainees receive comprehensive medical care and dietitian‑approved meals.