The Department of Homeland Security's inspector general discovered "dangerous overcrowding" during an unannounced inspection of an El Paso Border Patrol processing facility, CNN reported on Friday.
The inspector general's report says that the El Paso Del Norte Processing Center, which has a maximum capacity of 125, was found holding about 900 people on May 8. One cell with a maximum capacity of 35 was reportedly found with 155 detainees.
"Corrective action is critical to the immediate health and safety needs of detainees," the report says, writing that detainees with "limited access to showers and clean clothing" wore "soiled clothing for days or weeks" and some were "standing on toilets in the cells to make room and gain breathing space, thus limiting access to the toilets."
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Border Patrol managers are worried about an "immediate risk to the health and safety" of DHS agents and officers, the report also says, noting the "high incidence of illness" among staff. The Department of Homeland Security in response to the report said that "our immigration is not equipped to accommodate a migration pattern like the one we are experiencing now."
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