Jail411 archive report
Published March 8, 2026 · Updated March 22, 2026
Leaked 911 call recordings from Camp East Montana, the sprawling immigration detention facility in El Paso, Texas, are painting a grim picture of conditions inside what has become the largest ICE detention operation in the country. The calls, obtained through a public records request, capture detainees and staff pleading for emergency medical assistance — often with significant delays in response.
Camp East Montana opened in late 2025 as part of the Trump administration's push to dramatically expand immigration detention capacity. The facility, a converted military installation, was designed to hold up to 10,000 people. Current population figures are difficult to verify, but immigration advocates estimate the site is holding between 6,000 and 8,000 detainees at any given time.
Calls for Help
The 911 recordings span a three-week period in January 2026 and include more than two dozen calls. In several, detainees describe chest pains, difficulty breathing, and symptoms consistent with severe dehydration. In others, on-site medical staff can be heard requesting ambulance transport for individuals they describe as unresponsive.
What makes the recordings particularly alarming is the frequency of calls that reference delays in on-site medical attention. In one recording, a caller identifies himself as a contracted medical worker and states that a detainee had been complaining of abdominal pain for more than 18 hours before being seen by a physician.
The facility operates under a contract with a private detention management company, a model that has drawn criticism from oversight groups who argue that profit incentives often conflict with adequate care. ICE has maintained that all detention facilities meet or exceed national standards for medical care.
A System Under Strain
The expansion of immigration detention in Texas has been one of the defining features of the current administration's enforcement strategy. The number of people in ICE custody nationwide climbed from roughly 40,000 at the start of 2025 to more than 66,000 by December — the highest level ever recorded. Administration officials have signaled a goal of reaching 100,000 detention beds by the end of 2026.
That rapid expansion has created logistical and humanitarian challenges that facilities like Camp East Montana are struggling to manage. The El Paso region, which includes El Paso County detention facilities, has become the epicenter of the detention buildup, with multiple facilities operating simultaneously across the metro area.
Former ICE officials say the pace of expansion has outstripped the agency's ability to recruit and train qualified medical and security staff. Contracted workers, many with limited corrections or immigration experience, make up a significant portion of the workforce at newer facilities.
Six Deaths in Three Weeks
The 911 calls take on added urgency in the context of six confirmed in-custody deaths across the ICE detention system during the first three weeks of January 2026. ICE has not confirmed how many, if any, of those deaths occurred at Camp East Montana specifically, but the timing aligns with the period covered by the leaked recordings.
In-custody deaths in immigration detention have historically been attributed to a combination of inadequate medical screening at intake, delayed treatment for chronic conditions, and a lack of mental health resources. Unlike the federal prison system, immigration detention facilities are not required to provide the same level of care mandated for sentenced inmates — a gap that advocates have long argued violates basic human rights standards.
For those trying to locate someone held in immigration detention, the process can be especially opaque. ICE's online detainee locator system is frequently outdated, and transfers between facilities can happen without advance notice to family members or attorneys.
Congressional Scrutiny
Democratic members of Congress have called for an independent investigation into conditions at Camp East Montana, with several requesting access to the facility for an unannounced inspection. The administration has so far declined those requests, citing security concerns.
Meanwhile, the American Immigration Council released a report this week documenting what it describes as an "increasingly unaccountable" detention system. The report found that oversight mechanisms — including facility inspections and complaint tracking — have been scaled back even as the detained population has surged.
Understanding how bonds work in the detention context is critical for families navigating the immigration system. Immigration bonds function differently from criminal bail, and the amounts set for detained immigrants have risen significantly under the current administration, putting release out of reach for many families.
What Happens Now
The leaked recordings have intensified pressure on ICE to allow independent medical monitors into Camp East Montana and other large-scale facilities. Several civil rights organizations have indicated they are preparing legal challenges based on the conditions documented in the calls.
For the thousands of people currently detained at Camp East Montana — many of whom are asylum seekers with no criminal record — the 911 calls represent something they already knew: that the system they are trapped in is struggling to keep them alive, let alone treat them with dignity.