Civil rights organizations filed a federal lawsuit Friday accusing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) of subjecting detainees at Camp East Montana in El Paso, Texas to inhumane conditions.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, targets the immigration detention camp located at Fort Bliss. The facility, which opened in August 2025, can hold up to 5,000 people, making it the nation’s largest immigration detention center.

The complaint was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU of Texas, Texas Civil Rights Project, Human Rights Watch, and the law firm Farella Braun + Martel LLP on behalf of four detainees, and seeks class-action status for all people held at the camp.

According to allegations contained in the lawsuit, detainees have endured months of severe medical neglect, violent treatment by guards, widespread use of solitary confinement, and inadequate food that allegedly caused dramatic weight loss among detainees. The complaint also alleges detainees were exposed to dust storms through openings in tent walls and unsanitary conditions inside the tent facility.

The Department of Homeland Security defended conditions at the facility and rejected accusations involving inadequate medical care, spoiled food, disease outbreaks, lack of oversight, detainee deaths, and physical abuse by guards.

DHS said in an email to The Epoch Times that all detainees in ICE custody receive comprehensive medical, dental, and mental health screenings shortly after arrival, along with access to medical appointments and 24-hour emergency care. DHS said no detainee is denied medical treatment and said the care provided often exceeds what some immigrants previously received in their home countries.

The department also denied claims involving poor food quality, saying detainees receive three meals daily approved by certified dietitians, along with water, bedding, clothing, hygiene supplies, and communication access with attorneys and family members.

The DHS email reiterated the department’s position on the treatment of detainees made in a Sept. 17, 2025, statement.

DHS also disputed allegations of physical abuse by guards and said there has been no spike in deaths in ICE custody, maintaining the facility complies with federal detention standards and oversight requirements. DHS said no detainees have been beaten or abused.

The complaint claims at least 14 detainees contracted measles during a prolonged outbreak at the camp. Attorneys also cited three deaths at the facility within its first year of operation, including one detainee allegedly beaten to death by guards after requesting an inhaler.

On allegations involving measles and tuberculosis exposure, DHS said 14 active measles cases were confirmed at the facility in March 2026. Officials said ICE immediately quarantined affected detainees, suspended movement within the facility, and temporarily halted in-person visitation to prevent further spread.

The lawsuit argues conditions at Camp East Montana violate detainees’ Fifth Amendment due process rights and the Administrative Procedure Act.

Advocacy groups said they previously warned federal officials about conditions at the facility in letters sent in December 2025 and May 2026 after interviewing detainees who described patterns of abuse, excessive force, and medical neglect.

DHS previously rejected allegations involving conditions at Camp East Montana after the Washington Post published a series of stories on conditions at the facility.

DHS accused the Washington Post of publishing “false and misleading” claims about the camp.