ICE Extends No-Bid Contract for Texas Detention Center Amid Abuse Allegations

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) plans to extend its contract for the Camp East Montana detention facility in El Paso, Texas, for another year, despite significant criticism and calls for its closure. The no-bid contract extension, valued at an additional $776 million, will keep the facility operational through September 30, 2027.

This decision comes amid ongoing allegations of human rights abuses. Reports from organizations like Human Rights Watch and the ACLU detail routine mistreatment of detainees, including denial of medical care, unsanitary living conditions, and inedible food. Federal agency reports have also highlighted unsafe conditions and financial mismanagement.

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Extending Amentum's contract while ignoring well-documented abuses is reckless and demonstrates the Trump administration's full-scale assault on human rights.

At least three detainees have died at Camp East Montana since its opening in August 2025. The facility, located at Fort Bliss, has housed an average of over 2,000 detainees daily, though recent numbers have declined.

ICE justified the no-bid extension by citing the impracticability of relocating detainees due to a lack of bed space elsewhere. The agency also argued that transitioning to a new contractor would incur duplicative costs and disrupt operations, potentially threatening the safety and well-being of detainees and law enforcement activities.

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Instead of holding private contractors accountable, DHS is choosing to perpetuate a system of harm and abuse.