Inside Camp East Montana: 911 calls reveal medical and mental-health crises

Audio from more than 160 911 calls obtained through public-record requests paints a stark picture of how Camp East Montana handles health emergencies. Calls include a nurse reporting a detainee who swallowed an object and was in agonizing pain, a woman with COVID-19 whose oxygen supply was unavailable, and a man with kidney-stone pain whose family said the facility refused treatment. Detainees have also described hunger strikes and feelings of torture, while officials assert the center provides comprehensive medical services and refer patients to local hospitals when needed.

The facility, opened on former military land as a model for large-scale deportations, remains operational through at least September 2027, even as three deaths were recorded between December 2025 and January 2026. Investigators say the calls expose systemic gaps in responding to both physical and mental-health crises within the detention center.