ICE Facility Under Scrutiny for Security Lapses and Poor Conditions

WHO:

NBC News - Camp East Montana, the largest ICE detention center in the U.S.

CBS News - Government Accountability Office (GAO), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), ICE, Army, Trump administration.

WHAT:

CBS News - The GAO report states that the Army wasted up to $11.5 million on costs for guards, medical services, transportation, and meals in the weeks before the camp held detainees.

CBS News - The GAO found that the contractor at one point was not regularly cleaning dormitories, resulting in unsanitary conditions, and some guards offered detainees cookies in exchange for cleaning their own dormitories.

AP News - The GAO report indicates that evidence in the January death of a 55-year-old Cuban migrant was “missing or destroyed.”

AP News - The contractor failed to administer skin tests to screen detainees for tuberculosis, relying on a questionnaire instead, which led to an outbreak.

CBS News - The GAO found that the facility did not meet ICE detention standards or contract requirements when it opened.

CBS News - The GAO recommended that ICE pursue flexible contracts and ensure new facilities meet standards.

CBS News - The Army awarded a contract worth up to $1.2 billion to a contractor with no experience providing detention services.

CBS News - The Army wasted up to $11.5 million on costs for meals, transportation, guards, and medical services during a period when there were no detainees.

CBS News - ICE paid about $7.1 million for unnecessary meals from October 1, 2025, through March 12, 2026.

AP News - The GAO report indicates that a detainee escaped in October due to what ICE called the contractor’s oversight failure.

AP News - The GAO found that the contractor at one point was not regularly cleaning dormitories, resulting in unsanitary conditions, and some guards offered detainees cookies in exchange for cleaning their own dormitories.

CBS News - The GAO reported that the Army wasted an additional $423,000 for unnecessary meals while the facility was operating below capacity through September 30, 2025.

CBS News - The Army wasted up to $11.5 million on costs for meals, transportation, guards, and medical services during a period when there were no detainees.

CBS News - The GAO recommended that ICE pursue flexible contracts and ensure new facilities meet standards.

CBS News - The Department of Homeland Security stated that ICE is "upgrading," and has contracted a new provider at Camp East Montana, which will allow for more medical care on-site and increased oversight.

CBS News - A detainee's death by asphyxiation in January was determined by an autopsy to be a homicide and is now under a criminal investigation.

CBS News - Another detainee died by suicide in January after being left "unattended for intervals longer than 15 minutes."

AP News - The GAO report indicates that evidence in the January death of a 55-year-old Cuban migrant was “missing or destroyed.”

AP News - The contractor failed to administer skin tests to screen detainees for tuberculosis, relying on a questionnaire instead, which led to an outbreak.

AP News - The GAO report states that investigations into the January death of Geraldo Lunas Campos are on hold pending a criminal investigation by the FBI.

AP News - A detainee escaped in October due to what ICE called the contractor’s oversight failure.

AP News - The GAO report states that evidence in the January death of a 55-year-old Cuban migrant was “missing or destroyed.”

AP News - The contractor failed to administer skin tests to screen detainees for tuberculosis, leading to an outbreak.

CBS News - The GAO reported that the Army wasted an additional $423,000 for unnecessary meals while the facility was operating below capacity through September 30, 2025.

CBS News - The GAO found that the facility did not meet ICE detention standards or contract requirements when it opened.

AP News - The camp lacked security cameras on the perimeter and had other surveillance blind spots, raising the risk of sexual assaults or escapes.

AP News - The facility could not accommodate detainees using wheelchairs and had no ADA-compliant showers.

AP News - The GAO report indicates that the contractor cleaned dormitories weekly instead of daily, resulting in unsanitary conditions.

AP News - The GAO report states that investigations into the January death of Geraldo Lunas Campos are on hold pending a criminal investigation by the FBI.

NBC News - A congressional watchdog group found “serious performance and oversight challenges” at Camp East Montana.

CBS News - The GAO reported major problems at Camp East Montana, including millions of dollars in waste, unsanitary conditions, and inadequate tuberculosis control measures.

CBS News - Two deaths occurred at the facility from August 2025 to March 2026, one by asphyxiation classified as a homicide and another by suicide.

CBS News - A security guard lost a loaded firearm inside the facility, which had not been found as of March 2026.

CBS News - Detainees with chronic health conditions, such as HIV or diabetes, did not receive proper care.

CBS News - The facility has a capacity of 5,000 detainees.

CBS News - The Army awarded a contract worth up to $1.2 billion to a contractor with no experience providing detention services.

CBS News - The Army wasted up to $11.5 million on costs for meals, transportation, guards, and medical services during a period when there were no detainees.

CBS News - ICE paid about $7.1 million for unnecessary meals from October 1, 2025, through March 12, 2026.

WHERE:

NBC News - Camp East Montana, Texas.

CBS News - Fort Bliss Army base, Texas.

WHEN:

CBS News - The facility operated from August 2025 to March 2026.

CBS News - The deaths of detainees occurred in January 2026.

CBS News - The contract for Camp East Montana was awarded last summer.

WHY:

AP News - The issues at Camp East Montana were linked to a rushed construction and contracting process that resulted in selecting a contractor with no prior experience operating detention facilities.

CBS News - Issues at Camp East Montana were linked to a rushed construction and contracting process.

CBS News - The GAO stated that the lack of a Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan caused significant challenges in oversight.

HOW:

CBS News - The Army used a contracting process that did not incorporate flexibility in its contract to adjust for expenses when the facility was not at capacity, leading to significant waste.

CBS News - The Army used a contracting process that did not allow for flexibility in adjusting expenses when the facility was not at capacity.

CBS News - The GAO recommended that ICE pursue flexible contracts and ensure new facilities meet standards.

(UPDATED June 10, 2026 19:49 UTC)

A recent GAO report reveals that the Army wasted up to $11.5 million on various costs, including meals and medical services, during a period when there were no detainees at Camp East Montana. The report also highlights serious issues, such as unsanitary conditions due to inadequate cleaning by the contractor and a failure to properly screen detainees for tuberculosis, which resulted in an outbreak. Additionally, the GAO recommends that ICE pursue more flexible contracts and ensure that new facilities meet established standards, especially considering the contractor's lack of experience in operating detention facilities.

(UPDATED June 10, 2026 12:05 UTC)

A recent GAO report reveals that a detainee escaped in October due to what ICE described as a contractor’s oversight failure, highlighting issues such as unsanitary conditions from irregular cleaning and guards offering cookies to detainees in exchange for cleaning their own dormitories. The report also uncovered that the Army wasted up to $11.5 million on unnecessary costs for meals, transportation, guards, and medical services during a period with no detainees, along with an additional $423,000 for meals while the facility operated below capacity through September 30, 2025. In response, the Department of Homeland Security announced that ICE is "upgrading" its operations, having contracted a new provider at Camp East Montana to enhance medical care and oversight.

(UPDATED June 10, 2026 04:21 UTC)

A recent autopsy has ruled the death of a detainee by asphyxiation in January a homicide, prompting a criminal investigation, while another detainee tragically died by suicide after being left unattended for extended periods. A report from the GAO revealed that evidence related to the death of a 55-year-old Cuban migrant was either missing or destroyed, and it also highlighted serious lapses in health protocols, including a failure to administer tuberculosis skin tests, which contributed to an outbreak. Furthermore, the report indicated unsanitary conditions at Camp East Montana, where the contractor's inexperience and a flawed contracting process led to significant operational issues and waste.

(UPDATED June 10, 2026 01:46 UTC)

A recent GAO report has revealed serious shortcomings at an ICE detention facility, including a contractor's failure to administer tuberculosis skin tests, which led to an outbreak, and a lack of security cameras that raised concerns about safety. The report also highlighted that the facility did not meet ICE detention standards upon opening, could not accommodate detainees in wheelchairs, and maintained unsanitary conditions by cleaning dormitories only weekly. Additionally, investigations into the January death of a 55-year-old Cuban migrant are currently on hold as the FBI conducts a criminal investigation into the matter.

(UPDATED June 9, 2026 23:25 UTC)

A congressional watchdog group has uncovered serious performance and oversight challenges at Camp East Montana, the largest ICE detention center in the U.S., located at Fort Bliss Army base in Texas. The Government Accountability Office reported significant issues, including millions wasted on unnecessary expenses, unsanitary conditions, and inadequate health care for detainees, alongside two tragic deaths that occurred between August 2025 and March 2026. The Army's contracting process, which lacked flexibility and oversight, has been criticized for contributing to these problems, prompting the GAO to recommend that ICE pursue more adaptable contracts and ensure that new facilities meet proper standards.