Immigration and Customs Enforcement will begin using Fort Bliss, a Texas military base near El Paso, to detain people who entered the U.S. illegally starting Aug. 17. The Department of Defense says the facility will start with 1,000 detainees and expand over two years to hold up to 5,000—making it the largest federal immigration detention center in U.S. history.
Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson said the $1.2 billion project is part of the administration’s mission to deport illegal immigrants. Beds will be added in 250-bed increments until the facility reaches 3,000, with ICE overseeing operations at the site, dubbed Camp East Montana.
ICE says detainees will have access to legal representation, a law library, and recreation space.
The move comes as the Trump administration pursues what it calls the largest deportation effort in U.S. history. Meanwhile, a separate immigration detention project—nicknamed Alligator Alcatraz in the Florida Everglades—was temporarily blocked by a federal judge Thursday over environmental law concerns.
Immigration advocates have raised alarms about conditions in such facilities, while supporters argue they are essential for enforcing U.S. immigration law.
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