(Washington, D.C.) – Today, Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16) – joined by Representative Pramila Jayapal, the Ranking Member of the Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Subcommittee, and 22 other Members of Congress – sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Acting Director Todd Lyons calling for the immediate closure of Camp East Montana in El Paso. They cite urgent humanitarian concerns following multiple deaths in custody, documented unsafe conditions, and serious deficiencies in medical care.

This marks the fourth letter Congresswoman Escobar has sent to DHS and ICE leadership. The previous three letters have gone unanswered.

The letter can be found in its entirety below and here.

“Secretary Noem and Acting Director Lyons:

We are urgently calling on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS or the Department) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to shut down Camp East Montana in El Paso, Texas.

Camp East Montana has been operational for six months, and at least three people have died at the site since December 2025: Francisco Gaspar-Andres, Geraldo Lunas Campos, and Victor Manuel Diaz. The El Paso County Medical Examiner has officially ruled Lunas Campos’ death a homicide, citing “asphyxia due to neck and torso compression.”

Camp East Montana was constructed in a matter of weeks and opened before construction was complete and it does not have enough federal staff on-site to provide adequate oversight. Over the last several months, Congresswoman Veronica Escobar, in whose district this facility is located, has sent multiple letters to DHS and ICE regarding concerns about the conditions at Camp East Montana, and has received no responses.

According to detainees, there have been constant and consistent problems at the facility since it opened, beginning with the facility’s poor construction and poor ambient temperature control. Upon opening, the drinking water at Camp East Montana tasted foul and made some detainees sick. Detainees continue to be served inadequate meals, including food that is rotten or frozen; last fall, the facility was also consistently failing to make dietary accommodations for detainees. Detainees have shared that they have sporadic access to outside spaces and recreational areas, and that their dormitory pods are cleaned only once every eight days, despite pods housing up to 72 people at a time. Laundry services are not consistent, and people are washing their clothes in the facility showers. Additionally, the facility experiences flooding and sewage backups when it rains, leading to stagnant water. 

One of the biggest concerns with the Camp East Montana facility is the inadequate medical care being provided to detainees. Our offices have heard that only the most ill detainees are referred to the medical unit and that there are inconsistencies as to how soon after arriving detainees are able to undergo initial medical screenings. Detainees with chronic health issues who rely on regimented medications for their health have had difficulty accessing necessary medications, including blood pressure medication and insulin.

At least one of the deaths that occurred in ICE custody, the death of Francisco Gaspar-Andres, appears to partially be the result of poor medical care by staff at the facility. According to ICE’s own account, Gaspar-Andres sought medical attention from facility staff for increasingly serious symptoms, but was only transferred to an area hospital once his condition had severely deteriorated.

In addition to our concerns about poor medical care, we are also aware that detainees have experienced irregular access to their legal counsel, including instances of detainees having only two minutes allotted per phone call every 8 days, which is contrary to ICE’s Detention Standards on access to counsel, and that the belatedly created law library lacks adequate resources for the amount of people currently held at the facility. In January 2026, ICE announced the on-site death of Geraldo Lunas Campos “after experiencing medical distress.” ICE opened an investigation into the death, but did not provide a cause of death. However, The Washington Post later reported that another man detained at Camp East Montana had witnessed guards choking Lunas Campos when he refused to enter a segregated housing unit. Weeks later, the El Paso County Medical Examiner ruled that Lunas Campos had experienced “asphyxia due to neck and torso compression” and ruled his death a homicide.

Lunas Campos is the first detainee to die at Camp East Montana as a result of a use-of-force incident, but we are strongly concerned that he will not be the last if ICE is allowed to continue operating Camp East Montana.

ICE was given $45 billion in taxpayer dollars in the reconciliation bill, $1.2 billion of which were awarded to Acquisition Logistics, LLC, a company with no previous experience managing immigration detention facilities, to build and oversee Camp East Montana. However, in the wake of three deaths in custody so far, continued concerns about conditions at the facility, and ICE’s apparent disinterest in responding to oversight letters from Congress, we do not believe Camp East Montana is being run professionally or responsibly.

Camp East Montana must be shut down. For the safety of everyone at the facility, for an end to abuses to detainees, and for fiscal responsibility to the American people, the site cannot continue to operate. We are calling on DHS and ICE to move to immediately close operations at Camp East Montana.

We look forward to hearing from the Department promptly on this matter.     

The other co-signers include Representatives Yassamin Ansari, Nanette Barragán, Yvette Clarke, Lloyd Doggett, Maxwell Frost, Jesús “Chuy” García, Sylvia Garcia, Daniel Goldman, Jimmy Gomez, Henry Johnson, Stephen Lynch, Seth Moulton, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Delia Ramirez, Andrea Salinas, Janice Schakowsky, Darren Soto, Rashida Tlaib, Paul Tonko, Lauren Underwood, Gabe Vasquez, and Nydia Velázquez.

Issues: Immigration

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Montana state Sen. Jonathan Windy Boy, D-Box Elder, announced on Tuesday he is joining the race for Montana’s eastern congressional district for the chance to run against incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Troy Downing.

In a press release announcing his candidacy, Windy Boy said he would bring leadership grounded in experience, effectiveness and a deep understanding of the state’s communities to the job if elected.

“My record shows that I don’t just talk about solutions, I pass them, ” Windy Boy said. “I’ve worked across party lines to get legislation to the finish line, and I will bring that same effectiveness to Congress.”

Windy Boy has held a legislative office since 2008 when he first won a seat in the state Senate. He served two terms in the state Senate and four terms in the state House before returning to the Senate in the 2025 session. At the end of the session, he was honored as the incoming Dean of the Senate for 2027, an unofficial title bestowed on the longest-serving member of the chamber.

Across his 24 years of service in Montana, Windy Boy said he has focused on bipartisan collaboration to pass legislation that strengthens the economy and provides measurable outcomes for Montanans.

The eastern congressional district includes five of the state’s Tribal reservations — Rocky Boy, Fort Belknap, Fort Peck, Crow, and Northern Cheyenne — and the state’s largest city and its capital.

“I am running to ensure that every Montanan, rural and urban, Tribal and non-Tribal, has a voice in Washington,” Windy Boy said. “I approach every bill with one question: Does this make sense for Montana? If it strengthens our communities, protects our freedoms, and builds economic opportunity, I will support it.”

Windy Boy described himself in a press release as a “moderate, pro-life Democrat and an independent thinker.”

Among his priorities for his campaign are ensuring tribal communities have strong representation, improved access to resources, and a meaningful seat at the table in federal policy decisions; protecting and strengthening Medicaid to ensure rural hospitals remain open and families have access to affordable care; supporting public education while advancing innovative solutions that expand opportunity for Montana students; and reducing business equipment taxes and supporting policies that allow Montana farmers, ranchers and small businesses to thrive.

“If we stay on the same course, Montana families will continue to feel the consequences,” he said. “We need leadership that understands Montana values and delivers real results.”

Downing won his race for Congress with nearly 66% of the vote in 2024.

Windy Boy joins a Democratic primary field that includes Brian Miller of Helena and Sam Lux of Great Falls.