EL PASO, TEXAS — Three detainees have died at Camp East Montana, a tent-based immigration detention facility on the Fort Bliss army base in El Paso, Texas. The facility was erected quickly as a soft-sided detention center rather than solid buildings, and held an estimated daily average of 2,505 detainees against a capacity of 5,000.

At least 26 deaths have occurred in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody so far this fiscal year, and a total of 46 deaths in ICE custody have occurred since Donald Trump returned to the White House.

Detainees reported coughing and difficulty breathing inside the facility, where dust covered blankets and clogged airways. Rain leaked through the tent tarps, causing detainees to wake up on wet mattresses. The air conditioning inside the tents ran constantly, creating near-freezing temperatures despite warm weather outside. Detainees at Camp East Montana have contracted tuberculosis, Covid-19, and measles. The tent structures can result in greater exposure to the elements, including heat and dust storms.

Some detainees reported missing meals when the facility ran out of food, and some were told that medical treatment was available only for major emergencies. One diabetic detainee did not receive insulin supplies for a week. A former detainee's cough lasted approximately six weeks after his release, and another detainee lost 25 pounds while in detention. Some detainees rarely left the tents or saw the sun for weeks. "I speak to a lot of people who are so broken down by the conditions of detention that they are asking for a deportation order from the immigration judge, even with having a pending asylum claim, even having family members in the US, because the conditions are so horrific that they would do anything to get out," Charlotte Weiss, staff attorney at the Texas Civil Rights Project, said.

Danielle Jefferis, associate professor of law at the University of Nebraska College of Law, said: "I think the environmental impact is pretty apparent. I don't think it takes an expert to see that if you don't have a brick-and-mortar building that is properly plumbed and has appropriate medical units and all of the basic infrastructure relating to human rights, you're going to have a serious environmental impact."

The Department of Homeland Security said that every detainee at Camp East Montana receives three nutritious meals a day, including specialized and religious diets, with menus reviewed by a registered dietitian. DHS said that all detainees have access to water, medical treatment, and opportunities to communicate with family members and lawyers. The department also said that ICE provides comprehensive medical, dental, and mental health services, including 24-hour emergency care, from the moment an individual enters custody, and that detainees are not denied access to sunlight or fresh air.