Calls to 911 came almost daily from inside Camp East Montana, the largest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in the country.
Over five months, emergency calls painted a stark picture of life inside the sprawling tent complex outside El Paso, Texas, where thousands of migrants have been held amid allegations of overcrowding, medical neglect and deep psychological distress.
Recordings and data from more than 100 emergency calls, obtained by The Associated Press (AP), reveal repeated scenes of desperation.
Staff reported detainees attempting suicide, suffering seizures, collapsing from medical conditions and pleading for urgent care. In some cases, violence between detainees triggered emergency responses.
One man sobbed after an assault by another detainee. Another repeatedly struck his head against a wall after expressing suicidal thoughts. A pregnant woman in severe pain, also infected with coronavirus, required emergency attention.
