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Friday, Mar 06, 2026
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ICE Moves Toward Closing Fort Bliss Migrant Detention Facility After Months of Scrutiny
Internal document shows immigration authorities preparing to terminate the contract for the Camp East Montana facility in Texas amid health concerns and declining detainee numbers.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is taking steps to close a large migrant detention facility at the Fort Bliss Army base in Texas, according to internal government documentation outlining preparations to terminate the site’s operating contract.
The facility, known as Camp East Montana, opened in August 2025 near El Paso as part of expanded immigration enforcement efforts.
Built as a vast tent-based complex capable of holding up to five thousand detainees, the center was intended to process migrants awaiting immigration proceedings or deportation.
The site was operated by a private contractor under a contract valued at more than one billion dollars.
Documents reviewed by officials indicate that ICE is preparing to end its agreement with the contractor responsible for running the camp, a move that could lead to the closure of the facility less than a year after it began operations.
While authorities have not announced a final decision or timeline, the preparations signal that federal officials are actively reviewing the site’s future.
The detention camp has drawn sustained attention in recent months following a series of operational challenges.
The facility was placed under quarantine after a measles outbreak affecting multiple detainees, which forced authorities to restrict visits and isolate more than one hundred individuals as health measures were implemented.
Population levels at the center have also declined significantly.
The camp, designed to hold up to five thousand people, currently houses around fifteen hundred detainees after immigration enforcement agencies transferred or released others in recent weeks.
The site has been under additional scrutiny because of reported incidents and internal inspections conducted by federal authorities.
Oversight reviews previously identified dozens of compliance violations relating to medical intake procedures, sanitation, and access to legal representation, prompting calls for improvements in operations.
Camp East Montana was originally presented as a model for rapidly constructed detention infrastructure that could expand federal capacity to house migrants during periods of increased border enforcement.
The complex consists of large, soft-sided structures erected on desert land adjacent to the Fort Bliss military installation.
Even as the facility’s future is reconsidered, federal immigration authorities are continuing broader efforts to modernize detention infrastructure across the United States.
Plans under review include converting large industrial buildings into new holding facilities capable of accommodating individuals awaiting immigration proceedings.
Officials have not publicly confirmed when a final determination about the Fort Bliss site will be made.
For now, the internal steps to terminate the contract suggest that the government is reassessing how best to manage detention capacity while continuing to enforce immigration law and maintain operational readiness along the southern border.
The facility, known as Camp East Montana, opened in August 2025 near El Paso as part of expanded immigration enforcement efforts.
Built as a vast tent-based complex capable of holding up to five thousand detainees, the center was intended to process migrants awaiting immigration proceedings or deportation.
The site was operated by a private contractor under a contract valued at more than one billion dollars.
Documents reviewed by officials indicate that ICE is preparing to end its agreement with the contractor responsible for running the camp, a move that could lead to the closure of the facility less than a year after it began operations.
While authorities have not announced a final decision or timeline, the preparations signal that federal officials are actively reviewing the site’s future.
The detention camp has drawn sustained attention in recent months following a series of operational challenges.
The facility was placed under quarantine after a measles outbreak affecting multiple detainees, which forced authorities to restrict visits and isolate more than one hundred individuals as health measures were implemented.
Population levels at the center have also declined significantly.
The camp, designed to hold up to five thousand people, currently houses around fifteen hundred detainees after immigration enforcement agencies transferred or released others in recent weeks.
The site has been under additional scrutiny because of reported incidents and internal inspections conducted by federal authorities.
Oversight reviews previously identified dozens of compliance violations relating to medical intake procedures, sanitation, and access to legal representation, prompting calls for improvements in operations.
Camp East Montana was originally presented as a model for rapidly constructed detention infrastructure that could expand federal capacity to house migrants during periods of increased border enforcement.
The complex consists of large, soft-sided structures erected on desert land adjacent to the Fort Bliss military installation.
Even as the facility’s future is reconsidered, federal immigration authorities are continuing broader efforts to modernize detention infrastructure across the United States.
Plans under review include converting large industrial buildings into new holding facilities capable of accommodating individuals awaiting immigration proceedings.
Officials have not publicly confirmed when a final determination about the Fort Bliss site will be made.
For now, the internal steps to terminate the contract suggest that the government is reassessing how best to manage detention capacity while continuing to enforce immigration law and maintain operational readiness along the southern border.
