Two active cases of tuberculosis and 18 cases of COVID-19 have been identified at a massive immigration detention center in El Paso, according to the local Democratic member of Congress.<\/p>\n
U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar on Friday visited Camp East Montana, the 5,000-bed tent facility the federal government hastily built on the Fort Bliss Army base. She said on X<\/a>, \u201cMany of the chronic issues that I have reported out to the public and to members of my committee persist.\u201d<\/p>\n Around 3,100 people were being detained at the facility at the end of January, including 325 women, according to Escobar, and \u201caround one-third of detainees have a chronic illness and around 200 to 300 detainees require daily insulin.\u201d<\/p>\n U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has not yet responded to questions seeking comment.<\/p>\n News of the infections comes less than a week after two cases of measles<\/a> were identified at a different immigration detention center, South Texas Family Residential Center, 70 miles south of San Antonio. The facility was placed on a lockdown on Feb. 2.<\/p>\n The cases of Tuberculosis and COVID-19, two diseases that spread through the air, have underscored concern about the conditions at Camp East Montana and other immigration detention centers.<\/p>\n Immigration rights organizations have been warning about Camp East Montana\u2019s \u201cinhumane conditions,\u201d<\/a> citing physical abuse and alarming medical neglect.<\/p>\n