Over 160 emergency calls to 911 from the East Montana Camp, an immigration detention facility at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, have exposed significant medical and mental health crises that staff were ill-equipped to handle, according to a report by ProPublica and The Texas Tribune released on Tuesday.
Among these troubling events, the death of 55-year-old Cuban national Geraldo Lunas Campos on January 3 has been classified as a homicide by the El Paso County medical examiner.
Recordings, obtained by journalist Perla Trevizo through public records requests, reveal instances ranging from detainees experiencing suicidal thoughts to those seriously ill, for whom the facility's staff admitted lacking essential resources.
On September 12, 2025, just a month after the center began operations, a nurse called for an ambulance for a man who had ingested a foreign object, expressed suicidal thoughts, and was writhing in agony.
"He can't speak right now and he's writhing on the floor in unbearable pain, clutching his stomach. We need to get him to the nearest hospital," the nurse explained.
A month later, the partner of another detainee made three emergency calls to obtain medical assistance for a man suffering from kidney stones, describing his pain as excruciating.
When asked by the dispatcher why the facility itself hadn't called for an ambulance, the reply was, "Because they don't care. They don't care about any of the detainees. They don’t provide medical attention."
Another call on November 2 from a nurse detailed the inability to care for a 46-year-old woman severely ill with COVID-19.
"The problem is we don’t have oxygen for her, especially if her saturation keeps dropping. Her condition is very serious," the nurse warned.
The investigation found the woman had been ill for days and had requested to go to the clinic but initially received no care.
The Death of Geraldo Lunas Campos
The findings are especially significant in light of Lunas Campos’ death. The Cuban, who had a history of mental health issues, died after a confrontation with guards concerning his medication.
The El Paso County medical examiner ruled his death a homicide, citing asphyxiation due to compression of the neck and torso as the cause.
Initially, the Trump administration reported that Lunas Campos suffered a medical emergency. Later, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials stated that guards used force to prevent him from taking his own life.
ProPublica and The Texas Tribune also uncovered repeated requests to transfer him to a facility with better mental health services, which were never fulfilled.
The FBI has launched a criminal investigation into his death, and in July, Lunas Campos' family filed a civil lawsuit against guards and companies associated with the center's operation.
Lunas Campos was one of three immigrants who died at East Montana within six weeks, from December 2025 to January of this year.
Additionally, a former detainee informed the Associated Press about overhearing a guard mention contributing $500 to a supposed bet among staff on which detainee might take their life first.
The DHS has dismissed critiques of the facility's conditions, asserting that it provides "comprehensive medical services, including mental health care." They also claimed that, for many detainees, the care received there "is the best they have ever received in their lives."
ICE plans to keep the East Montana Camp operational until at least September 30, 2027.
Understanding the Crisis in Texas ICE Detention Center
What are the main issues revealed by the 911 calls from East Montana Camp?
The 911 calls revealed significant medical and mental health emergencies, including suicidal ideations and severe illnesses, which the facility's staff were unprepared to manage.
How did Geraldo Lunas Campos die, and what has been the response?
Geraldo Lunas Campos died from asphyxiation after a confrontation with guards. His death was ruled a homicide, and it has prompted a criminal investigation by the FBI and a civil lawsuit by his family.
What has been the DHS's stance on the conditions at the detention center?
The DHS has defended the conditions, claiming that comprehensive medical services, including mental health care, are provided, and for many detainees, the care is the best they have ever received.