A landmark immigration detention lawsuit filed in federal court is putting the United States government on trial over conditions inside the largest ICE detention facility in the country. The complaint, filed on May 30, 2026, in the US District Court for the Western District of Texas, targets Camp East Montana, a sprawling tent encampment on Fort Bliss military base in El Paso, Texas. It is the first lawsuit ever filed against the facility and seeks class-action status on behalf of every person currently detained there.
Here is what the lawsuit alleges, who filed it, and what it means for immigration detention across the country.
What the Immigration Detention Lawsuit Alleges
The complaint was brought by the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Texas, the Texas Civil Rights Project, Human Rights Watch, and the law firm Farella Braun + Martel LLP. It names ICE Director Todd Lyons and DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin as defendants.
The lawsuit documents seven categories of alleged violations inside the facility.
1. Physical violence by guards. One named plaintiff, Gerald Akari Angye, a Cameroonian national, alleges guards beat him so severely he was hospitalized and placed in a wheelchair. He was then placed in solitary confinement for 15 days. “I have already experienced torture in my home country of Cameroon and I never thought I would experience such severely violent treatment by guards here in the United States of America,” Angye said in a statement.
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2. Severe medical neglect. Detainees managing serious conditions including HIV, cancer, and diabetes allege they are not receiving timely medications. One man who was denied chemotherapy for cancer died shortly after being released from the facility.
3. Measles and tuberculosis outbreaks. A measles outbreak lasted nearly a month and infected at least 14 people. The facility was temporarily closed to visitors during the outbreak. The complaint also documents exposure to tuberculosis inside the facility.
4. Solitary confinement used arbitrarily. The lawsuit alleges guards use solitary confinement without justification as a form of punishment, including against detainees who raise medical or safety concerns.
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5. Hazardous dust exposure. A May 2026 letter sent by the same organizations to federal officials outlined complaints about dangerous dust conditions inside the facility, on top of conditions already flagged in an earlier December 2025 letter.
6. Inadequate food. The complaint states detainees are given two pieces of bread, a piece of ham or bologna, a slice of cheese, and a cookie for all three meals of the day.
7. Inhumane living conditions. The lawsuit describes housing units without windows, crammed spaces, a constant odor of urine and feces, and a lack of clean water across the facility.
What Is Camp East Montana?
Camp East Montana opened in August 2025 as part of the Trump administration’s mass deportation strategy. It sits inside Fort Bliss, a US Army base on the outskirts of El Paso, in the Chihuahuan Desert. The facility has a capacity of up to 5,000 people and typically houses around 2,500 to 3,000 detainees at any given time. According to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University, it has held the largest number of detained immigrants of any facility in fiscal year 2026.
El Paso Congresswoman Veronica Escobar, a leading critic of the facility, called it “a purgatory for human beings held there” and vowed to continue oversight visits and demand the tent camp’s permanent closure.
3 Deaths and Counting: The Medical Crisis Inside the Immigration Detention Facility
In less than a year since opening, Camp East Montana has recorded at least three detainee deaths.
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The most scrutinized death is that of Geraldo Lunas Campos, a Cuban national who died on January 3, 2026. The El Paso County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled his death a homicide, citing “asphyxia due to neck and torso compression.” Immigration officials initially attributed the death to “medical distress,” then said Campos had attempted to take his own life and died in a struggle with guards. The ACLU lawsuit alleges he was beaten to death by guards after asking for his inhaler. No one has been charged.
A fourth man died shortly after release from the facility, having been denied chemotherapy for cancer while detained.
US immigration detention deaths reached a 20-year high in 2025 as the Trump administration increased the number of people held in federal custody.
Who Filed the Lawsuit and What They Are Demanding
The four named plaintiffs filed the suit on behalf of themselves, all current detainees at Camp East Montana, and any future individuals held there. The organizations behind the complaint are seeking class-action certification, which would extend any court relief to all detainees at the facility.
“Camp East Montana is nothing short of a civil rights catastrophe,” said Kyle Virgien, senior staff attorney at the ACLU’s National Prison Project. “We’re suing to ensure that no other human being has to endure the inhumane treatment that the Trump administration has inflicted on our clients.”
The lawsuit follows months of failed advocacy. The same organizations sent warning letters to federal officials in December 2025 and again in May 2026, documenting interviews with dozens of detainees. After ICE switched out the facility’s prime operator in March 2026 for a more experienced contractor, the civil rights groups said in their May letter that the situation had “continued to deteriorate.”
How DHS Responded to the Immigration Detention Lawsuit
The Department of Homeland Security denied all allegations in the complaint. A DHS spokesperson called the claims “categorically false” and stated that “all detainees are provided with proper meals, quality water, blankets, medical treatment, and have opportunities to communicate with their family members and lawyers.”
The department also said death rates under the Trump administration remain consistent with historical trends.
However, the government’s own inspectors found 49 violations of detention standards at Camp East Montana during a congressionally mandated inspection in February 2026. Eleven of those violations were related to “use of force and restraints” and five were related to “medical care.”
What This Immigration Detention Lawsuit Could Mean Nationwide
The case is significant beyond Camp East Montana. A ruling in favor of the plaintiffs could set binding standards for conditions across all ICE detention facilities in the United States. It could also influence how courts evaluate constitutional protections for people held in immigration custody more broadly.
The case is currently pending in the US District Court for the Western District of Texas. A motion for class certification has been filed alongside the complaint.
If you or someone you know is being held in an immigration detention facility and needs legal assistance, contact the ACLU or a licensed immigration attorney immediately.
