What’s happening inside Camp East Montana at Fort Bliss should outrage every person who believes in basic human rights. Dozens of immigrants held at this detention facility have come forward with sworn declarations describing horrifying abuse. They report being beaten, sexually assaulted, denied medical care, and threatened with deportation to countries where they may face imprisonment or worse.

This facility, funded with $1.2 billion in taxpayer dollars, opened just months ago. It was built to house up to 5,000 migrants, yet reports already describe it as overcrowded, unsanitary, and dangerously mismanaged. People have been forced to wash their clothes in showers due to the lack of laundry service. They are denied clean clothes, adequate food, and even sunlight for weeks at a time. One teenager was hospitalized after being slammed to the ground by an officer. Others say they were told to “jump into Mexico” or face indefinite detention in a third country they had never even visited.

According to the ACLU and multiple immigrant rights organizations, these are not isolated incidents. This is a systemic failure. And it is happening in our name.

The Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement have denied the allegations. But with over 45 people interviewed and 16 sworn declarations, the evidence demands more than a press release. It demands justice.

We call on DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, ICE Acting Director Tom Lyons, and President Donald Trump to shut down Camp East Montana immediately. We demand an independent investigation into the reported abuses, full access to legal counsel for all detainees, and a halt to all third-country deportations until due process is guaranteed.

People are suffering behind these fences. We cannot look away. Sign this petition to speak out and stand with the people being detained at Camp East Montana. This facility must be shut down and those responsible must be held accountable.

Photo: human Rights Watch