EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — A new 31-page report by Amnesty International is raising alarms about alleged human rights violations at the El Paso Service Processing Center, citing disturbing accounts of mistreatment, poor conditions, and limited access to legal representation for migrants in U.S. custody.
According to the report released this month, Amnesty International conducted a site visit to the facility in April. The organization said it interviewed more than a dozen detainees and reviewed public records, facility policies, and legal filings to support its findings.
Among the most serious allegations in the report are claims of physical abuse by guards, spoiled food, inadequate medical care, and a systemic lack of legal aid.
Amnesty International describes the conditions as “an environment and system designed to dehumanize the population within.”
One testimony included in the report is of a Venezuelan migrant who alleges that a guard mocked detainees for refusing to play a game of football, using slurs, and then attacking three of the men in the unit.
“The guard slammed him onto the floor. His knees were on his head. They were kicking him repeatedly,” the report states.
In response to the claims, KTSM reached out to the El Paso County Republican Party, which questioned the credibility of that account.
“I want to see the video on that. It just does not sound like normal human behavior here in the U.S.,” said Michael Aboud, chairman of the El Paso County Republican Party.
The report also highlights a reduction in legal resources available to detainees after the local organization Estrella del Paso lost federal funding.
The group previously provided “know your rights” materials to migrants held in the facility. Without that support, many are navigating the complex immigration system with little guidance, Amnesty International said.
Amnesty International is now urging the federal government to open an investigation into the allegations, review immigration enforcement practices, and restore legal support for those in detention.
The report arrives as federal lawmakers push for increased transparency inside immigration detention centers. U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez, D-New Mexico, who represents Southern New Mexico, recently announced an updated version of his previously introduced legislation aimed at bolstering oversight.
“This bill mandates reporting on conditions in immigration detention centers for things like assaults, abuse, hospitalization and death, complaints from inmates or detainees about legal access, retaliation, and lack of resources,” Vasquez said during a press conference this week.
When asked about the broader issue of legal representation for detainees, the El Paso GOP responded: “They came here illegally, and now they want us to pay for lawyers so they can stay as long as possible — and they’re still going to get some back.”
Amnesty International is calling on the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to launch a formal inquiry into the conditions at the El Paso Service Processing Center and other facilities nationwide.
The full report is available by clicking on this link
Dehumanized by Design: Human Rights Violations in El Paso | Amnesty International USA
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