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Democrats Push to Close Fort Bliss ICE Camp as 5,000-Bed Expansion Proceeds

Critics say the Pentagon-built tent complex is fast-tracking deportations with limited outside scrutiny.

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Overview

  • Camp East Montana opened with roughly 1,000 men in custody and is scaling toward 5,000 beds under contracts totaling about $1.2 billion.
  • The facility was constructed under a Department of Defense award, with Acquisition Logistics receiving an initial $231.8 million to establish operations that ICE now manages.
  • DHS describes the site as a short-term processing hub that will decompress other centers, provide legal and medical services, and integrate deportation flights.
  • Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett and El Paso Rep. Veronica Escobar joined advocacy groups calling for immediate closure, citing restricted oversight, attorney access concerns, and harsh desert conditions.
  • Historians note Fort Bliss held Japanese immigrants during World War II, a comparison DHS rejects as inaccurate, while available data show many people in ICE custody have no criminal convictions.