Rights groups allege abuse and poor conditions at Texas immigration detention centre

Two leading human rights organisations have accused staff at a major immigration detention centre in Texas of abusing detainees and keeping them in unsafe living conditions. The allegations were made in a report released by Human Rights Watch and the American Civil Liberties Union, which documents claims of physical violence, inadequate medical care and restrictions on communication with family members and legal representatives.

The report is based on 80 interviews conducted with detainees held at Camp East Montana, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility located inside Fort Bliss, a US Army base in El Paso, Texas. It describes a pattern of alleged mistreatment that includes beatings by guards, poor nutrition and living conditions that detainees said were degrading and unsanitary.

According to the report, several detainees claimed they were subjected to excessive force by security staff while also struggling with severe food shortages and limited access to healthcare. The organisations argue that these conditions violate both US legal protections and internationally recognised human rights standards.

Camp East Montana is the largest immigration detention centre in the United States and has faced increasing scrutiny in recent months. The latest report adds to a series of investigations that have raised concerns about conditions inside the facility and the treatment of people held there while awaiting immigration proceedings.

The US Department of Homeland Security strongly rejected the allegations. In a statement, the department described the claims as completely false and insisted that detainees are treated safely and humanely. Officials said no one is being beaten or abused and maintained that all detainees receive proper meals, drinking water, medical care and opportunities to communicate with lawyers and family members.

One detainee quoted in the report, identified only as Ismael M, a 28 year old man from Honduras, described the emotional toll of spending more than five months in detention. He said the conditions had left him struggling with severe depression and hopelessness. His testimony reflected the mental strain that some detainees say they experience while being held for extended periods.

The detention centre has previously come under criticism from immigration advocates and government investigators. Last month, a federal watchdog report found that the facility failed to properly document incidents involving the use of force, did not consistently provide medication to seriously ill detainees and spent millions of taxpayer dollars through emergency contracts that lacked proper oversight.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement has played a central role in President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, which have focused on increasing deportations and strengthening border enforcement. Supporters of the administration argue that these measures are necessary to improve national security and enforce immigration laws.

However, human rights organisations have repeatedly criticised the government’s approach, arguing that it has undermined due process protections and created fear among immigrant communities. Advocacy groups have also raised concerns about possible racial profiling and the impact of aggressive immigration enforcement on ethnic minority communities across the country.

The report comes as scrutiny of immigration detention practices continues to grow. According to available figures, around 50 people have died while in ICE custody since President Trump returned to office in January last year. Rights organisations continue to call for independent investigations into detention conditions and greater oversight of immigration facilities, while government officials maintain that existing standards are being followed.

The latest allegations are likely to intensify debate over immigration enforcement in the United States as lawmakers, rights advocates and federal agencies continue to disagree over the treatment of detainees and the conditions inside the country’s largest detention centres.