East Montana Camp
Lisa Gonzalez and I discuss her experiences of witnessing and attending a vigil at the East Montana ICE detention camp in El Paso, Texas. We consider if these facilities should be considered concentration camps and what experts and scholars have to say. While the federal government claims ICE immigration detention camps are not punishment because immigration violations are civil offenses and not criminal offenses, they are clearly engaged in punishment such as solitary confinement, beatings and forced labor. Forced labor is banned by the 13th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution except for those convicted of criminal offenses. As we point out, over 70% of those being held against their will in ICE camps have no criminal convictions and are still being forced to provide labor within the facilities.
This video can be seen by Ghost subscribers on Borderland Talk’s YouTube channel for free.
Notes:
- Menon, Aisha. “‘I Can’t Breathe:’ Medical examiner says ICE detainees death is likely a homicide.” VECHRON. January 16, 2026.
- “GAO: $1.3 billion ICE detention labeled Camp East Montana facility plagued by waste, safety gaps and contracting missteps.” Homeland Security Today. June 9, 2026.
- “Questions follow reported ICE facility overdoses.” El Paso Matters. June 19, 2026.
- Cuevas, Eduardo. “Deaths in ICE custody hit record high under Trump administration, agency says.” USA Today. April 18, 2026.
- Moore, Robert. “Six children in Border Patrol care, Democrats in Congress want to know why.” Propublica. January 13, 2020.
- “New data: 73% of ICE detainees have no criminal record.” The CATO Institute. November 25, 2025.
- “Experts question Noem calling Good a ‘domestic terrorist.” PBS News. January 10, 2026.
- Ong, Jonathan et al. “Latino ICE arrests under Trump.” ACLU. October 2025.
- Pitzer, Andrea Next Comes What podcast. “Private profits soaring 700% under Trump.” YouTube.
- Abbott, Jeff. “U.S. Rep. Escobar pushes for answers at ICE detention site after report.” El Paso Times. June 24, 2026.
- “Prison labor and the Thirteenth Amendment.” Equal Justice Initiative. February 1, 2016.