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ICE detention facility at Fort Bliss opens Aug. 17 under Trump-era executive order
Immigration and Customs Enforcement is moving forward with plans to operate a detention facility on Fort Bliss land, with an initial capacity for 1,000 detainees. The facility, known as Camp East Montana, will begin operations on Sunday, Aug. 17, with a capacity of 1,000 detainees and plans to expand to 5,000 beds, ICE spokesperson Leticia Zamarripa stated in a news release. She added that the expansion is needed to support increased enforcement targeting individuals unlawfully present in the United States. The detention center at Fort Bliss is expected to become the largest migrant facility in the U.S. once it reaches full capacity. The facility is being constructed under a Department of Defense contract and is funded "as part of the essential whole-of-government approach to protecting public safety and preserving national security," the news release stated as to why the money was made available. More on the facility images First images of ICE migrant detention facility at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas Plans to expand the facility After months of speculation about when the facility would begin accepting detainees, ICE has publicly addressed construction on Fort Bliss property for the first time. ICE officials confirmed that contractor Acquisition Logistics LLC, based in Henrico, Virginia, will add beds in weekly increments of 250 until the facility reaches a capacity of 3,000. "ICE personnel will be responsible for the management and operational authority pertaining to Camp East Montana. This is being carried out with contracted support and according to ICE detention standards," the statement said. Among the amenities listed at the soft-sided facility are "everything a traditional ICE detention facility offers," the statement said. They include: Access to legal representation and a law library, Access to visitation, Recreational space, Medical treatment space and nutritionally balanced meals. It also provides necessary accommodations for disabilities, diet, and religious beliefs. "ICE is using Camp East Montana to help decompress ICE detention facilities in other regions," the statement said. "It will also serve as a processing facility, and ICE Air Operations will effectuate removals for aliens staged at the facility, which enables ICE to detain the rapidly increasing number of criminal aliens its brave officers and special agents arrest." More on facility oversight US Rep. Escobar, House Democrats sue Trump administration over ICE facility visits Such facilities, ICE officials noted, expedite the removal processes "which is one of the Trump administration's priorities," the statement concluded. The contract to build the facility In a statement by Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin of the Department of Homeland Security, there was still confirmation of the location being operational as of the start of August. The Department of Defense announced on July 21 that Acquisition Logistics LLC, of Henrico, Virginia, was awarded a $231.9 million firm-fixed-price contract to establish and operate a short-term detention facility for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The site will hold up to 5,000 single adult detainees. The contract comes on the heels of Presidential Executive Order 14159, which outlines using "national security assets for law and order." "Bids were solicited via the internet with 13 received. Work will be performed in El Paso, Texas, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2027. Fiscal 2025 operation and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $231,878,229 were obligated at the time of the award," the contract overview states. More on additional immigration laws US Rep. Escobar joins Florida Republican in presenting bipartisan immigration reform bill Kristian Jaime is the Top Story Reporter for the El Paso Times and is reachable at Kjaime@ This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: ICE to open largest migrant detention center at Fort Bliss on Aug. 17 Solve the daily Crossword
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El Paso's Fort Bliss to become largest immigration detention facility in US
El Paso's Fort Bliss is set to become the site of the largest immigration detention facility in the United States, as the administration of Donald Trump expands its nationwide crackdown on immigration. The detention center on the U.S. Army post began receiving the first of 1,000 detainees on Aug. 1, with around 100 individuals arriving at the new detention facility. El Paso's ICE spokesperson Leticia Zamarripa said in a news statement that the goal is to have 1,000 people detained in the facility by Aug. 17. The Trump administration plans to expand the facility by 250 beds each week until it reaches 1,000. Ultimately, ICE looks to hold 5,000 people at the detention facility. "We will finish construction for up to 5,000 beds in the weeks and months ahead," Pentagon spokesperson Kingsley Wilson told reporters on Aug. 7. "Upon completion, this will be the largest federal detention center in history for this critical mission." ICE is responsible for the management and operation of the Fort Bliss detention facility. Zamarripa said in the news statement that the facilities will provide detainees with access to legal representation and a law library, access to visitation and medical treatment, among other services, which detainees receive in other facilities. The Trump administration has stated that it will hold single adults who are scheduled for deportation. Immigrants held there are scheduled to be there for a short-term period before they are removed from the country. More: ICE courthouse arrests are leading migrants to avoid their hearings, observers say The construction of the Fort Bliss detention facility expands ICE's capacity in the El Paso Sector, which stretches from New Mexico's border with Arizona through El Paso County. There are currently three other detention centers in the El Paso area, which includes an ICE detention facility and processing center on Montana Avenue, near the El Paso International Airport, as well as a facility north of the city on Highway 54 and another facility in Otero, New Mexico. The three facilities can hold up to 3,000 people. The El Paso Times has reached out to the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement to tour the facility, but received no response to any media inquiries. What do we know about the detention facility? Former U.S. Secretary of the Army Daniel P. Driscoll announced that construction of the detention facility was imminent in March, following his visit to Fort Bliss and the El Paso area. During the news conference, Fort Bliss Deputy Committee General Paul Krattiger said that the detention facility would be constructed at the location known as "Site Monitor," which is just off of Montana Avenue and George Dieter Drive. While the administration of President Donald Trump initially said the facility would hold up to 10,000 detainees, this number was reduced to 5,000. The Henrico, Virginia-based Acquisition Logistics LLC company was awarded a $231,878,229 firm-fixed-price contract to establish and operate a detention facility for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The contract comes on the heels of Presidential Executive Order 14159, which outlines using "national security assets for law and order." More: Fort Bliss once housed refugees, now set for largest ICE deportation center Military and commercial deportation flights The Fort Bliss facility is meant to be a hub for the deportation of immigrants and to ease the capacity of centers across the country, ICE officials said. "ICE is using Camp East Montana to help decompress ICE detention facilities in other regions," the statement said. "It will also serve as a processing facility, and ICE Air Operations will effectuate removals for aliens staged at the facility." El Paso and Fort Bliss have continued to be the departure site of both military and ICE-chartered commercial deportation flights. Military deportation flights carry fewer deportees than commercial charters, but have a higher operating cost. More: Trump's first 30 days: Deported Guatemalan migrants suffer, White House touts progress At least 68 military deportation flights have returned migrants to over a dozen countries since Jan. 24. Thirteen of the flights have departed Fort Bliss' Biggs Army Airfield, according to data compiled by Tom Cartwright with the immigration advocacy group Witness at the Border. The majority of flights have transported immigrants to Guatemala, Honduras and Ecuador. Concerns with congressional oversight The construction of the ICE facility on Fort Bliss raises concerns for congressional oversight to uphold humane conditions at the immigration detention site. U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso, has regularly carried out congressional oversight visits to the facilities, where she has sought to guarantee humane treatment of immigrants held in the detention centers. She was blocked from visiting the Montana Avenue facility in June 2025, leading to her filing a lawsuit against the Trump administration. She has raised concerns over carrying out oversight at the Fort Bliss detention center. "It is going to be very challenging to continue to provide oversight if we don't challenge the Trump administration in court," Escobar said at a news conference on July 30. "The lawsuit is pretty critical, especially given the massive expansion of immigration detention that is going to happen as the result of Republicans giving tens of billions of dollars to private corporations." More: US Rep. Veronica Escobar targets ICE agent's use of masks, says it is eroding public trust ICE detention facilities across the United States have faced accusations of inhumane conditions. The ICE facility on Montana Avenue has faced criticisms over the conditions that immigrants face while in custody. Amnesty International raised concerns about the facilities in a report in May 2025, and U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Georgia, who reported immigrants being slammed to the ground by guards at the Montana Avenue center in a report on the abuse of pregnant women and children in ICE detention. The Department of Homeland Security has refuted these claims. El Paso Times reporter Kristian Jaime contributed to this report. Jeff Abbott covers the border for the El Paso Times and can be reached at:jdabbott@ on Twitter or @ on Bluesky. This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Fort Bliss is becoming the largest immigration detention facility in US Solve the daily Crossword
