Press ReleaseUrgent2026-07-15

Congresswoman Escobar Statement on Human Rights Watch/ACLU Report on Camp East Montana

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This press release from Representative Veronica Escobar (D-TX) was published on 2026-07-15 and titled "Congresswoman Escobar Statement on Human Rights Watch/ACLU Report on Camp East Montana".

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Congresswoman Escobar Statement on Human Rights Watch/ACLU Report on Camp East Montana

Today, Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16) released the following statement in response to a joint, 84 page report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) on the conditions at Camp East Montana: “The joint report published by Human Rights Watch and the ACLU on conditions at Camp East Montana only further confirms what I have been sounding alarms about since the facility opened in August 2025. “In my nearly ten oversight visits to Camp East Montana, I have witnessed firsthand the dysfunction, neglect and incompetence of very highly paid contractors. Detainees, advocates and whistleblowers have also shared with me innumerable examples of the lack of medical care, legal services, hygiene, edible food and countless other issues. For months, I have raised these issues to ICE personnel and contractors; despite some changes and improvements, the most consequential and egregious problems persist. “Camp East Montana is a $1.24 billion tent city where oversight has been limited and challenging. As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, I have attempted to address many of these issues legislatively, to both address the violations of federal standards at Camp East Montana and prevent this blueprint from being used across the country. During the appropriations process, I’ve tried including reporting requirements, funding entities that provide oversight to facilities like Camp East Montana, preventing the use of military installations for immigration detention facilities and more in our funding bills. Republicans have unfortunately blocked many of my efforts. Stephen Miller is the architect of this brutal, costly and inhumane immigration detention scheme, and Congressional Republicans have been complicit. “Camp East Montana is central to Trump's mass deportation strategy, a purgatory where immigrants — many of whom had legal protections, permission to be in the country and no criminal records — are warehoused after they have been disappeared from their communities. These tents were allegedly designed to hold people temporarily, but many immigrants have been held there for months without any end in sight, and this has been one of the many reasons why so many of the people held there endure mental health crises. “There is a new DHS Secretary and new ICE leadership in DC and in the El Paso sector, and I’ve shared much of this with them in the hopes of seeing significant changes made going forward. But I also continue to call for the immediate and permanent closure of this tent city. As I continue my oversight work, I'm grateful groups like the Human Rights Watch and ACLU amplify everything I’ve been detailing. We must hold all those responsible for atrocities like murder, corruption, fraud, waste and abuse accountable.” # # #

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Congresswoman Escobar Statement on Human Rights Watch/ACLU Report on Camp East Montana Today, Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16) released the following statement in response to a joint, 84 page report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) on the conditions at Camp East Montana: “The joint report published by Human Rights Watch and the ACLU on conditions at Camp East Montana only further confirms what I have been sounding alarms about since the facility opened in August 2025. “In my nearly ten oversight visits to Camp East Montana, I have witnessed firsthand the dysfunction, neglect and incompetence of very highly paid contractors. Detainees, advocates and whistleblowers have also shared with me innumerable examples of the lack of medical care, legal services, hygiene, edible food and countless other issues. For months, I have raised these issues to ICE personnel and contractors; despite some changes and improvements, the most consequential and egregious problems persist. “Camp East Montana is a $1.24 billion tent city where oversight has been limited and challenging. As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, I have attempted to address many of these issues legislatively, to both address the violations of federal standards at Camp East Montana and prevent this blueprint from being used across the country. During the appropriations process, I’ve tried including reporting requirements, funding entities that provide oversight to facilities like Camp East Montana, preventing the use of military installations for immigration detention facilities and more in our funding bills. Republicans have unfortunately blocked many of my efforts. Stephen Miller is the architect of this brutal, costly and inhumane immigration detention scheme, and Congressional Republicans have been complicit. “Camp East Montana is central to Trump's mass deportation strategy, a purgatory where immigrants — many of whom had legal protections, permission to be in the country and no criminal records — are warehoused after they have been disappeared from their communities. These tents were allegedly designed to hold people temporarily, but many immigrants have been held there for months without any end in sight, and this has been one of the many reasons why so many of the people held there endure mental health crises. “There is a new DHS Secretary and new ICE leadership in DC and in the El Paso sector, and I’ve shared much of this with them in the hopes of seeing significant changes made going forward. But I also continue to call for the immediate and permanent closure of this tent city. As I continue my oversight work, I'm grateful groups like the Human Rights Watch and ACLU amplify everything I’ve been detailing. We must hold all those responsible for atrocities like murder, corruption, fraud, waste and abuse accountable.” # # #