Ex-ICE Employee Alleges Dire Detention Conditions, Reports Women Forced to Wear Diaper

A former US Immigration and Customs Enforcement employee has alleged that detainees at a Baltimore holding facility were left lying in faeces and urine, with women forced to wear diapers because basic sanitary products were not provided.

The claims detail how individuals were left in their own waste and that women detainees were forced to wear diapers to cope with the extreme conditions, as documented in an interview with WUSA9. The conditions the whistleblower described resembled those from history's darkest chapters rather than those in lawful detention facilities.

The source, who worked inside the Baltimore 'hold rooms' used by ICE, gave a detailed account of what they witnessed, alleging that basic sanitation had broken down under the strain of overcrowding.

These claims come amid a broader legal and political conflict surrounding ICE's use of temporary holding cells in the George H. Fallon Federal Building at 31 Hopkins Plaza in downtown Baltimore, where civil rights litigation is underway challenging conditions and prolonged confinement well beyond policy limits established by the agency.

Allegations of Inhumane Conditions and Policy Violations

The holding rooms in the Baltimore field office were designed for short-term confinement of recently arrested non-citizens, typically no more than 12 hours under ICE's own policy. However, a class-action lawsuit filed in federal court alleges that ICE routinely holds individuals for extended periods, with plaintiffs reporting stays of more than 36 hours and, in some cases, several days.

The legal complaint (D.N.N. and V.R.G. v Baker), filed on 9 May 2025 in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, sets out multiple violations of federal detention policy and constitutional rights. The plaintiffs, identified only by initials due to safety concerns, are civil detainees held in the Baltimore hold rooms who allege punitive and degrading treatment, including denial of prescribed medications, inadequate access to drinking water and food, lack of bedding, and negligible medical care.

The court filing details how the facility's basic design and operations fall short of both ICE's own detention standards and constitutional obligations to provide humane conditions. According to the complaint, detainees are frequently deprived of access to soap, showers, towels, and even clean clothes. Many are forced to sleep on inflatable mattresses or bare concrete floors without adequate blankets or pillows, with lights on constantly, depriving them of rest.

Critically, the complaint also alleges exposure to unsanitary conditions so severe that detainees had no choice but to relieve themselves in place. Although the legal filing does not explicitly mention diapers, sworn declarations included in the extended complaint describe detainees being denied even basic sanitation items and having to resort to extreme measures.

Legal and Political Response

The Baltimore case is one of several across the United States challenging ICE's detention practices. A federal lawsuit in New York, for example, led a judge to mandate the provision of clean bedding mats after similar overcrowding conditions were documented.

In Maryland, Attorney General Anthony G. Brown filed an amicus brief in June 2025 supporting the lawsuit against ICE, stressing that detainees have been kept in temporary cells without adequate medical care, nutrition, water, sanitary facilities or access to lawyers, conditions he said deny basic human dignity.

Attempts by Maryland Democratic leaders to tour the Baltimore holding facility in July 2025 were rebuffed by ICE, highlighting the limited transparency and oversight at such sites. Critics contend this restriction on access further obscures conditions inside.

ICE and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have defended their practices in other contexts, attributing prolonged stays and overcrowding to logistical challenges, including transport disruptions caused by severe weather. In similar incidents, DHS spokespeople have characterised such facilities as temporary processing sites and maintained that detainees receive food, water, blankets and necessary care.

Context of Overcrowding and Systemic Strain

The Baltimore facility sits against the backdrop of broader challenges facing the US immigration detention system. A viral video shared in late January 2026 depicted dozens of detainees crammed into a holding cell without beds or showers, and included audio of voices pleading for help, alleging extended confinement beyond ICE's stated limits.

ICE issued a waiver in June 2025 that increased the permissible period for holding detainees in such cells from 12 to 72 hours, citing operational necessity due to surging arrests and limited transfer capacity. Advocacy groups argue that even this extended limit is routinely exceeded, thereby violating ICE policy and constitutional due process protections.

For detainees, the consequences of extended confinement in such conditions can be acute and long-lasting. Plaintiffs allege that prolonged exposure to unsanitary, overcrowded environments, combined with restricted access to essential care, inflicts not only physical hardship but psychological trauma. The lawsuit seeks injunctive relief and recognition that current practices compromise fundamental rights.

The ongoing Baltimore legal challenge sheds light on the growing legal scrutiny of ICE's internal detention policies and operational practices. If successful, it could compel systemic changes to how federal immigration detention is administered, particularly in temporary holding facilities where oversight has historically been limited.