Report: ICE wasted millions, endangered detainees in largest immigration facility

A sign marks the entrance to Camp East Montana immigrant detention center in the desert at a U.S. Army base on the outskirts of El Paso, Texas, Feb. 13, 2026. Morgan Lee / AP hide caption

A new federal watchdog report has found severe violations at one of the country's largest immigration detention centers, including millions of dollars wasted, detainee health endangered, and the destruction or loss of evidence in a detainee death investigation.

The report, produced by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), focuses on Camp East Montana . The facility opened in August 2025 on the grounds of the U.S. Army's sprawling Fort Bliss military installation in El Paso, Texas. The facility can hold up to 5,000 immigrants.

But the detention center, formerly operated by Acquisition Logistics LLC and since March operated by Amentum Services, has been dogged by problems and has not been running at full capacity. The report found millions of dollars wasted on meals and operations billed at full capacity even when the actual detainee population was far lower.

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., one of the lawmakers who requested the report, called it "damning."

"We now know even more details of how dangerous and irresponsible the Trump Administration's mass deportation campaign truly is," Durbin said in a news release. "Excessive use of force, lacking medical and mental health care, and wasted taxpayer dollars are emblematic of this mass deportation scheme."

In a statement to NPR, the Department of Homeland Security vowed upgrades and improvements to the troubled facility under a new contractor. The agency said "ICE is always looking at ways to improve our detention facilities to ensure we are providing the best care to illegal aliens in our custody."

Since its inception, Camp East Montana has been mired in controversy.