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Jayapal demands closure of Camp East Montana
At least three people have died at Camp East Montana since December last year.
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Rwittika Chakraborty
- Sat, 28, Feb 2026
- 01:13 EST
- 11
Rep. Pramila Jayapal / X/@RepJayapal
Rep. Pramila Jayapal, along with 22 other members of Congress have sent a letter urging the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to shut down the Camp East Montana detention facility in El Paso, Texas, citing serious safety, health and human rights concerns.
In the letter delivered on Feb. 26 to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons, Jayapal, a ranking member of the House Immigration Integrity, Security and Enforcement Subcommittee, along with Rep. Veronica Escobar and 22 other members of Congress, demanded immediate closure, arguing that conditions at the site have deteriorated since its opening and pose ongoing risks to those detained there.
ALSO READ: Jayapal renews push for Dignity Act after single father’s ICE release
Camp East Montana, operated under a more than $1.2 billion federal contract, has been operational for six months, and at least three people have died at the site since December last year, including one case recently ruled a homicide by local medical officials.
In the letter, Jayapal and her colleagues expressed alarm over what they described as unsafe conditions, insufficient medical care and management failures.
Today, I - along with @RepJayapal, the Ranking Member of the Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Subcommittee, and 22 other Members of Congress - sent a letter to Sec. Noem and ICE Acting Director Lyons calling for the immediate closure of Camp East Montana. pic.twitter.com/JUy4zGQOnb
— Rep. Veronica Escobar (@RepEscobar) February 26, 2026
They contend that such issues not only undermine detainee welfare but also reflect broader concerns about the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement strategy and immigration detention policies.
Along with concerns over medical care, the letter mentioned that detainees have experienced irregular access to their legal counsel, including instances of having only two minutes allotted per phone call every eight days, which is contrary to ICE’s detention standards on access to counsel.
“Camp East Montana must be shut down. For the safety of everyone at the facility, for an end to abuses to detainees and for fiscal responsibility to the American people, the site cannot continue to operate,” read the letter.
According to Escobar, this marks the fourth letter sent to DHS and ICE leadership, and the previous three letters have gone unanswered.
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