A recent investigation by a government watchdog has highlighted significant failings within the Trump administration’s handling of immigrant detainees at Fort Bliss Army base in Texas. These issues include substantial financial waste, unsanitary conditions, inadequate tuberculosis controls, and alarmingly, a missing firearm.
Between August 2025 and March 2026, the facility, referred to as Camp East Montana, experienced numerous severe incidents. This included two deaths that prompted scrutiny by the Government Accountability Office (GAO). The GAO’s report revealed that one detainee’s death in January was due to asphyxiation and has been classified as a homicide, now under criminal investigation. Another individual took their own life after being left unsupervised for extended periods, according to the report.
Adding to the facility’s woes, a security guard misplaced a loaded firearm within the premises in January, and as of March, it had yet to be recovered.
The report further criticized the facility for failing to provide adequate medical care to detainees with chronic conditions, including a lack of treatment plans for those suffering from HIV or diabetes.
As the largest detention center operated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Camp East Montana can house up to 5,000 detainees. The GAO attributed the problems to the hurried nature of its construction and contracting processes.
The GAO noted, “While the Army and ICE’s approach to planning and acquisition allowed for a swift contract award, it ultimately led to negative consequences during the facility’s operations.”
Detainees with chronic health conditions did not receive proper care, the GAO also said, citing the lack of treatment plans for those with HIV or diabetes.
Camp East Montana is the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency’s largest detention facility, with a capacity of 5,000 detainees. In its report, the GAO said the issues were linked to a rushed construction and contracting process.
“While the Army and ICE’s planning and acquisition approach for Camp East Montana enabled them to award the contract quickly, it contributed to negative outcomes during facility operations,” the GAO said.
“These issues contributed to waste of government resources and threats to the health and life of detained noncitizens and staff at the facility,” the watchdog added.
The Defense Department announced the building of Camp East Montana last summer, touting it as the “largest federal detention center in history.” The Army initially awarded a contract worth up to $1.2 billion to a contractor the GAO later found had no experience providing detention services.
According to the report, the Army used a process that did not incorporate flexibility in its contract to adjust for expenses when the facility was not at capacity.
This meant that from Aug. 1 to Aug. 15, 2025, when there were no detainees at the facility, the Army “wasted” up to $11.5 million on the full cost of meals, transportation, guards and medical services, the report said.
After the facility started operations, it paid an additional $423,000 for meals it did not need while the facility was operating below its designated capacity through Sept. 30, 2025, according to the report. After ICE took over the contract, it paid about $7.1 million for meals it did not need from Oct. 1, 2025, through March 12, 2026.
The contract did not include a Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan, which the GAO said is used to measure contractor performance and quality. ICE contracting officials told the GAO that this caused significant challenges conducting oversight and addressing problems.
In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security said ICE is “upgrading,” and has contracted a new provider at Camp East Montana.
“This new contractor will allow Camp East Montana to continue abiding by the highest detention standards WITH the ability to provide MORE medical care on-site,” DHS said. “This contract also allows more on-site staff and a PRECISE quality assurance surveillance plan. ICE will have even more oversight of the contractors at this facility. Far from closing, Camp East Montana is upgrading.”
The GAO found that because the contractor at one point was not regularly cleaning dormitories, resulting in unsanitary conditions, “some contract security guards offered detained noncitizens cookies in exchange for cleaning their own dormitories.”
The GAO recommended that ICE pursue flexible contracts, ensure that new facilities meet standards, and that DHS and the Army identify lessons learned for future acquisitions.
The Defense Department said it would implement the recommendation but disagreed with the GAO’s report, arguing that the GAO relied too heavily on information from ICE officials. In response, the GAO said its findings concluded that both DHS and the Army “made decisions that contributed to the serious challenges at Camp East Montana.” The Army said that it had no response beyond what is contained in the report.
