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An inspection found 49 violations of detention standards at the largest US migrant detention camp, located in El Paso, Texas, which has faced criticism from immigration advocates opposed to President Donald Trump’s crackdown.
Reuters reports that the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency’s Office of Detention Oversight conducted a congressionally mandated inspection over three days in February; its report was released this week.
The report found 49 “deficiencies” at the $1.2 billion facility, called Camp East Montana. It defined “deficiency” as “any violation of detention standards, policies, or operational procedures, as applicable.”
There were 22 deficiencies related to the “use of force and restraints,” the report said.
The Trump administration has pursued an aggressive immigration crackdown that rights groups and others have condemned as being in violation of due process and free speech.
Advocacy groups say it has created an unsafe environment for minorities and raised concerns about racial profiling. Trump has cast the government’s actions as an attempt to improve domestic security and curb illegal immigration.
At least 14 migrants have died in ICE custody from January 12 2026, through late March, according to the agency. That follows 31 deaths last year, a two-decade high.
Of the deaths thus far in 2026, at least two took place at Camp East Montana.
Late last year, US Representative Veronica Escobar, a Texas Democrat, visited the facility and said detainees there endured foul-tasting drinking water, rotten food and inadequate healthcare.
