EL PASO, Texas — The U.S. Army’s Fort Bliss will soon open a new immigration detention facility capable of holding up to 1,000 detainees, with plans to expand to 5,000 beds, federal officials confirmed Thursday.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said the facility — called Camp East Montana — will begin operations August 17 as part of the Trump administration’s mass deportation push. If expanded, it would become the largest immigration detention center in the United States.
ICE said the site will act as a short-term processing center for undocumented immigrants in removal proceedings or with final deportation orders. Deportations will also be carried out from the facility via ICE air operations.
The Department of Defense awarded a $231.8 million contract to Virginia-based Acquisition Logistics LLC to establish and operate the center, though the company has no prior experience managing detention sites. ICE will maintain management authority, with contracted support.
The agency described the facility as “soft-sided” but providing the same services as traditional detention centers, including legal access, medical care, religious accommodations, and recreation.
Fort Bliss has previously been used by multiple administrations for immigration purposes, including housing unaccompanied migrant children and Afghan refugees.
The move has drawn criticism from Democrats, including Rep. Veronica Escobar (D- Texas), who said using military installations for immigration detention could harm military readiness.
The expansion comes as a Senate report this week documented hundreds of alleged human rights abuses at immigration detention facilities nationwide — allegations DHS has denied.
Leave a Reply