Inmate At ICE Detention Detention Center Says Guards Bet Which Detainee Is Going To Commit Suicide Next

An inmate held at an ICE detention center in Texas described harsh living conditions in the premises, as well as widespread hunger, disease, and mistreatment by guards, including bets over which detainee would commit suicide next.

The location in question is Camp East Montana, located outside El Paso at the U.S. Army base Fort Bliss. The Associated Press noted that even though the Trump administration claims the place houses the "worst of the worst," about 80% of inmates have no criminal record.

The outlet went over a hundred 911 calls from the premises, as well as interviews and court filings, and outlined the conditions at the center. It noted that detainees have a hard time getting medication and health care, are losing weight due to the lack of food and inmates often steal from each other due to meager portions, some of which directly can't be eaten.

Owen Ramsingh, a former property manager in Columbia, Missouri, told the AP that fights often ensued after the theft of food. He also detailed overhearing a security guard talking about bets among the staff over which detainee would commit suicide next. He said the guard said he had paid $500 into a pool.

The conversation took place shortly after a Cuban man effectively tried to harm himself but was then restrained by guards. Even though initial claims pointed at suicide, a medical examiner ruled that the man, Geraldo Lunas Campos, was a homicide caused by asphyxia.

The camp has been under scrutiny for months, with advocacy groups recently demanding its closure following the reports of three deaths in a month and a half, one from Lunas Campos.

The coalition of advocacy groups made reference to the death, saying that Lunas Campos "died from asphyxiation after guards choked him to death, and that federal authorities subsequently are threatening to deport key witnesses to the incident, raising grave concerns about accountability and efforts to suppress evidence of abuse at the facility."

In mid-January, Victor Manuel Diaz, a Nicaraguan man. committed suicide days after being detained while working in Minnesota.The other death is that of Francisco Gaspar Cristobal Andres, who died on December 3 of "suspected natural causes."

The group concluded the release by claiming that "Camp East Montana must be closed without delay, and a full, independent investigation into all detention facilities must begin now."

At least 30 people died in ICE custody last year, the highest annual total in two decades, according to a Reuters analysis published earlier this month. Human rights groups and former detainees have repeatedly raised concerns about conditions inside detention facilities, including access to medical care.

Originally published on Latin Times