GAO Says ICE Wasted $11.5 Million at 5,000-Bed Camp East Montana After Rushed Opening
Updated
Updated · The Texas Tribune · Jun 9
GAO Says ICE Wasted $11.5 Million at 5,000-Bed Camp East Montana After Rushed Opening
3 articles · Updated · The Texas Tribune · Jun 9
Summary
$11.5 million in taxpayer money was wasted in Camp East Montana’s first two weeks in August 2025, the GAO said, even though the 5,000-bed facility in El Paso remained empty until Aug. 16.
ICE opened the camp without a pre-occupancy inspection under White House pressure to add detention space quickly, leaving security blind spots, understaffed camera monitoring and serious medical-service gaps.
The report said those failures led to concrete risks and costs: one detainee escaped in October, a guard lost a loaded firearm in January that was still missing as of March, and ICE later paid about $7.1 million for unused meals.
Camp East Montana had already drawn scrutiny after three detainee deaths, a measles outbreak and allegations of inhumane treatment; ICE replaced its original $1.3 billion contractor in March, while civil-rights groups and Rep. Veronica Escobar are pressing for stronger action.
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Camp East Montana: How the Largest U.S. Immigration Detention Center Became a $2.7 Billion Crisis of Abuse, Deaths, and Mismanagement
Overview
The Camp East Montana detention center in El Paso, Texas, faced major operational failures soon after opening in 2025, largely due to the Trump administration's decision to award a multi-billion dollar contract to an inexperienced company. By early 2026, federal reviews uncovered 49 serious deficiencies, including inadequate medical care and improper use of force. These findings led the Department of Homeland Security to terminate the contract and replace the management with Amentum Services Inc. Despite this change, issues like security lapses and financial waste persisted, prompting ongoing oversight, legal action, and calls for systemic reform from lawmakers and advocacy groups.