A federal report released Tuesday criticizes the management of a massive Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Texas, stating that it created unsafe conditions that contributed to detainee deaths and suffering. The facility, Camp East Montana, is located at Fort Bliss in El Paso and has been the site of three detainee deaths in just over six months.

Report Findings

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) report documents serious problems at the facility, including a lack of proper oversight, unsanitary conditions, and inadequate medical care. The report found that ICE rushed to open the camp in August before construction was complete and failed to conduct required inspections to ensure detainees were held in safe conditions.

The report also details incidents of a detainee escaping due to contractor oversight failure and a security guard losing a loaded firearm inside the facility. Additionally, the contractor failed to administer skin tests to screen detainees for tuberculosis, leading to an outbreak.

The GAO report echoes past reporting by other news outlets about the dangerous conditions at Camp East Montana, which quickly became the nation’s largest immigration detention facility.

Response to Report

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) noted that ICE has replaced the contractor running the facility. A DHS spokesperson stated that the new contractor will allow the facility to continue abiding by the highest detention standards and provide more medical care on-site.

Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois called the report’s findings ‘damning’ and stated that the Trump administration’s mass deportation campaign is ‘dangerous and irresponsible.’ The report’s findings have also been criticized by the family of a detainee who died at the facility.

Original reporting: Dallas TX News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.