Inspection finds 49 violations of detention standards at largest US migrant detention camp

By Kanishka Singh

WASHINGTON, April 2 (Reuters) – An inspection found 49 violations of detention standards at the largest U.S. migrant detention camp, located in El Paso, Texas, which has faced criticism from immigration advocates opposed to President Donald Trump’s crackdown.

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency’s office of detention oversight carried out 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 a “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,” 11 related to “facility security and control” and five related to “medical care,” the report said.

The Trump administration has pursued an aggressive immigration crackdown that has been condemned by rights groups and others 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.

Conditions at ICE facilities have been under scrutiny.

At least 14 immigrants have died in ICE custody from January 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, U.S. Representative Veronica Escobar, a Texas Democrat, visited the facility and said detainees there endured foul-tasting drinking water, rotten food and inadequate healthcare.

(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Thomas Derpinghaus)