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Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) plans to open a large detention facility at Fort Bliss in Texas later this month, designed to hold thousands of migrants awaiting deportation.
The site, which will begin operating on Aug. 17, will initially accommodate 1,000 detainees before expanding in weekly increments of 250 beds until it reaches 3,000. Under a Department of Defense contract valued at up to $1.2 billion, the complex is scheduled for full completion in 2027, with an ultimate capacity of 5,000.
ICE officials say the new location, known as Camp East Montana, will mirror the amenities of traditional detention centers, including access to legal counsel, a law library, visitation rights, recreational areas, medical facilities, and nutritionally balanced meals. The agency said the facility will also serve as a processing hub to connect migrants with final deportation orders to return flights.
“After initial operating capacity is reached, the contractor will add more beds in increments of 250 beds a week,” ICE told Border Report. Agency personnel will manage daily operations.
Federal officials say the expansion will relieve pressure on overcrowded detention centers along the U.S.-Mexico border. The Pentagon described the site as the largest federal detention center ever built for deportation operations once completed.
The announcement comes the same day a federal judge temporarily halted construction of an unrelated Florida detention facility known as “Alligator Alcatraz” over environmental concerns. That injunction is set to last two weeks.
The Texas project reveals the administration’s push to expand detention capacity as illegal immigration levels remain high. Fort Bliss, a sprawling Army base near El Paso, has previously been used to house migrant children but will now play a central role in the government’s broader deportation strategy.
Upon completion, the facility will represent the most significant single-site detention expansion in U.S. history, signaling a long-term federal commitment to large-scale migrant processing and removal.
In addition to the Texas site, Indiana announced the upcoming opening of its “Speedway Slammer” in an effort similar to Florida’s “Alligator Alcatraz.” Other states are considering the opening of additional facilities.