The emergency calls from a Texas immigration detention center included repeated suicide attempts by detainees, seizures, injuries from fights and a pregnant woman in pain. Data from more than a hundred 911 calls, interviews with detainees and court filings offer a portrait of overcrowding, medical neglect, malnutrition and emotional distress. 

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'Worse than a prison': 911 calls, interviews reveal problems at ICE's largest detention camp

'Worse than a prison': 911 calls, interviews reveal problems at ICE's largest detention camp

Serious medical and mental health emergencies have been routine at the nation's largest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility since its opening in August. Data from more than a hundred 911 calls at Camp East Montana in El Paso, Texas, along with interviews and court filings, offer a disturbing portrait of overcrowding, medical neglect, malnutrition and emotional distress. Current and former detainees say they struggle to obtain health care as disease spreads, lose weight because of a lack of food, and fear security guards known to use force to put down disturbances. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson rejected claims of subprime conditions, saying Camp East Montana detainees receive food, water and medical treatment in a facility that is regularly cleaned.

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