EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, visited Camp East Montana following a Department of Homeland Security report that detainees caused disturbances and a “riot” at the facility.
Escobar to visit Camp East Montana following apparent riot
According to DHS, two separate disturbances occurred on Sept. 1 and Sept. 7, resulting in injuries to security staff and destruction of federal property, including furniture and cameras.
Following an oversight visit, Escobar said she spoke with officials at the detention center and visited “Tent C,” where the alleged riot had taken place.
The congresswoman said she questioned why such incidents were happening at the facility and was told that the pod where the riot originated was occupied by Venezuelans with criminal records and criminal history.
“These are their words, ‘They’re a tough population,’” Escobar said. “I would like to verify that, so I’m going to see what I can find out about the population.”
Escobar said officials told her that deportation flights to Venezuela have been limited due to a recent earthquake, which in turn created frustrations among Venezuelans who want to get back to their home country.
Escobar noted that she thinks those who caused riots should be held accountable.
“It doesn’t just put federal employees at risk or contractors at risk,” Escobar said. “It puts fellow detainees at risk to engage in violent behavior.”
Escobar went on to say that the contractor at the facility should also be held accountable, noting that “they are being paid over 1 billion of our tax money.”
“If the contractor was not adequately staffed up, if their personnel are not adequately trained, if they do not know how to handle a large number of detainees, that is an issue,” Escobar said.
The congresswoman said she has not been allowed to speak to any detainees in the facility and said she would continue to look into the disturbances.
Adam Bauman, the Republican candidate for Texas’ 16th Congressional District, weighed in on the situation:
“Any type of violence inside any detention center or county jail should not be tolerated. I am not aware of the facts surrounding why or how the riot occurred at Camp East Montana; however, those who participated in this riot need to be held accountable.
“I have heard El Paso’s current Congressional seat holder stating her concerns about how individuals are treated, conditions inside and lack of access for Congressional Representatives inside Camp East Montana.
“As a Congressional Candidate for El Paso’s Congressional seat, it’s my belief that the same effort to visit and ensure standards are met at Camp East Montana should be applied to ensuring standards are met regarding conditions inside the El Paso County Detention Facility and that individuals being held there are being treated appropriately. Treatment of El Pasoans should always be the priority for El Paso’s Congressional Representative.”