Three Deaths at Largest US Immigration Detention Center Lead to Lawsuit

As the Trump administration intensifies its crackdown on suspected illegal immigrants, three people have died since the opening of the largest US immigration detention center in El Paso, Texas, nine months ago. Civil rights groups have now filed a lawsuit regarding the facility's management. According to Reuters, the Trump administration, pursuing mass deportations, spent $1.2 billion to build the 'Camp East Montana' facility at the Fort Bliss military base. However, groups including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) have sued over the inhumane conditions. The lawsuit is being heard in the US District Court for the Western District of Texas, with defendants including the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Homeland Security. The ACLU stated this is the first lawsuit against the facility, aiming to improve conditions for over 2,700 detainees. The DHS did not immediately respond to requests for comment, having previously stated the facility meets federal standards. ACLU attorney Kyle Virgien stated, 'We filed this lawsuit to ensure no one else has to endure this inhumane treatment.' Other plaintiffs include Human Rights Watch and the Texas Civil Rights Project. A congressional inspection in February found 49 violations of detention standards, including 11 related to 'use of force and restraints' and 5 related to 'medical care.' According to the lawsuit, detainees are held in windowless spaces, subjected to guard violence, denied medical and mental health care, placed in arbitrary solitary confinement, and exposed to diseases like measles and tuberculosis. Plaintiff Erik Ivan Rodriguez stated he was physically assaulted when officials tried to force him to sign deportation papers, and Gerald Akari Angye from Cameroon reported being beaten by guards. An El Paso medical examiner ruled the death of Cuban immigrant Geraldo Lunas Campos as a homicide due to 'asphyxiation caused by pressure on the neck and torso.' Officials initially attributed the death to a 'medical emergency,' later claiming Campos attempted suicide and died during a struggle with guards. The ACLU lawsuit claims Campos was beaten to death after requesting asthma medication. The lawsuit also mentions a fourth death shortly after release, involving a detainee who was denied chemotherapy for cancer while in custody.