Key facts
- A federal report found serious mismanagement at the Camp East Montana ICE detention facility in Texas.
- The Government Accountability Office report detailed unsafe conditions, including medical failures and security lapses.
- Three detainees have died at the facility in less than a year.
- Millions of dollars were wasted on contractor services due to contract terms and lack of oversight.
- The facility failed to meet basic detention standards upon opening, including ADA compliance and security measures.
A massive Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Texas, Camp East Montana at Fort Bliss, was plagued by mismanagement, leading to unsafe conditions, detainee deaths, and millions in wasted tax dollars, according to a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report. The report details serious problems, including missing evidence in a detainee death, inadequate medical care, and security lapses.
The GAO found that ICE rushed to open the facility before construction was complete and failed to conduct required oversight, contributing to detainee suffering and deaths. Evidence in the January death of a 55-year-old Cuban migrant was reportedly missing or destroyed. The facility also experienced a detainee escape due to contractor oversight failure and a security guard losing a loaded firearm.
Contractors failed to administer proper tuberculosis screenings, leading to an outbreak. The facility did not meet detention standards upon opening, lacking adequate security cameras, ADA-compliant facilities, and sufficient recreational or legal access areas for detainees.
The report also highlighted wasteful spending, with millions of dollars paid for services not needed due to contract terms that did not account for fluctuating detainee populations. The Army spent up to $11.5 million on services before the camp held any detainees, and millions more were wasted on meals for the maximum capacity even when the population was significantly lower.
Sen. Dick Durbin called the findings "damning," criticizing the conditions as "shocking the conscience." The Department of Homeland Security stated that ICE has replaced the contractor, assuring that the new contractor will uphold high detention standards and provide more on-site medical care.