Inside a Detention Facility: Testimonies

We have accounts of conditions for detainees in these facilities they are being taken too and it speaks to why people are outside is sub zero weather to stop this crap.

Testimony was provided by an individual currently being held at Camp East Montana at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas. Isaac (a pseudonym) is a 43-year-old Cuban man who describes deeply troubling conditions faced by himself and others at this detention facility. His account raises serious concerns regarding medical neglect, inhumane living conditions, violations of due process, and the physical and psychological harm caused by prolonged detention under these circumstances. And he is one of many provided.

According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), they enforce strict standards called the Performance-Based National Detention Standards (PBNDS), which is to establish consistent conditions of confinement, operations, and management. An interactive website with tabs can be found here. These “standards” are obligated under both domestic and international human rights to provide safe, sanitary living conditions as well as accurate medical care. As Isaac’s testimony continues, it reveals a systemic failure to meet even the most basic obligations of care and oversight. He describes overcrowded and unsanitary living units, bathrooms that overflow into eating areas, and severely limited access to basic hygiene and cleaning supplies despite repeated requests. These conditions significantly increase the risk of infectious disease and fundamentally undermine human dignity, a right that should be afforded to everyone!

What is especially worrisome are the medical implications of Isaac’s detention. As a stroke survivor with high blood pressure, Isaac reports experiencing prolonged periods without access to his prescribed medications, receiving them only sporadically. He documents ongoing symptoms of uncontrolled hypertension that, if left untreated, can lead to life-threatening complications including additional strokes, heart attack, or permanent neurological damage. Inconsistent and delayed medical care not only causes discomfort, but it can produce irreversible harm with long-term consequences.

Isacc also highlights food insecurity and neglect. According to the PBNDS PDF, all detainees shall be provided nutritionally balanced diets (p.228), shall be protected from injury and illness by adequate food service training and the application of sound safety and sanitation practices (p.228), special diets and ceremonial meals shall be provided(p. 229), and food shall never be used for reward or punishment (p.229). Isaac reports inconsistent meal schedules, including at least one full day without food and accounts of times being given a late-night distribution of a sack lunch with minimal rations. Individuals with specialized dietary needs are reportedly not receiving appropriate accommodations. This type of nutritional deprivation, especially when combined with illness and stress, compounds physical decline and weakens the body’s immune system which affects the body’s ability to recover.

Looking beyond the physical harm recanted, the psychological impact of these conditions cannot be overstated. Isaac speaks about not being able to see the sky for weeks, the absence of legal or religious resources, and a climate of fear that is reinforced by threats of deportation to countries they are not from and have never been, these countries often being dangerous locations, such as the infamous CECOT prison in El Salvador. Prolonged exposure to such conditions can result in lasting trauma, anxiety, depression, and PTSD, even long after detention ends.

Isaac’s testimony should not be understood as an isolated grievance, but as a warning. Following this first testimony, we will be releasing the testimony of several other detainees who account for their own horrid experiences within the ICE detention centers. These testimonies underscore the urgent need for independent oversight, accountability, and immediate reforms to ensure that these practices do not continue to inflict lasting harm on the people held within. The words that follow are Isaac’s own. They deserve to be read with care, seriousness, and humanity.

All the testimonies that you will read have been sourced and vetted with the ACLU, ACLU of New Mexico, ACLU of Texas, Estrella del Paso, Human Rights Watch, Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, NMILC (New Mexico Immigrant Law Center) and the Texas Civil Rights Project.

INDEX OF SUPPORTING DECLARATIONS