ICE Plans Massive Detention Facility Expansion at Fort Bliss Texas

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will open a large migrant processing and detention facility, Camp East Montana, at Fort Bliss military base near El Paso, Texas, on August 17. Initially, the facility will house 1,000 detainees and is planned to expand to 5,000 beds by 2027, becoming the largest federal detention center in U.S. history dedicated to deportations. Constructed under a Department of Defense contract valued up to $1.2 billion, the soft-sided complex will include access to legal representation, a law library, recreational spaces, medical treatment, and accommodations for disabilities, diet, and religious beliefs. ICE will manage the facility, which aims to streamline the removal process for individuals with final deportation orders, especially as the Trump administration intensifies deportation efforts. The announcement coincides with ongoing legal challenges to the administration's immigration policies, including a federal judge's temporary halt of another detention site, "Alligator Alcatraz," in Florida due to environmental law violations and concerns over detainee conditions. Despite opposition from immigration advocates, the administration continues to expand detention capacity to address growing migrant populations at the border and within the U.S.