ICE says Camp East Montana detention facility staying open, not closing
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SPECIAL: Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said Camp East Montana in El Paso, Texas, will remain open and is undergoing an operational upgrade, Fox News Digital has learned.
“Camp East Montana is NOT closing, quite the opposite,” an ICE spokesperson told Fox News Digital exclusively on Tuesday.
“Instead, ICE contracted with a new service provider after Secretary Noem terminated the old contract she inherited from the War Department. ICE is always looking for ways to improve our detention facilities to ensure we provide the best care for the illegal aliens in our custody.”
Camp East Montana photographed on Friday, March 6, 2026 in El Paso, Texas. (Omar Ornelas/El Paso Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
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The spokesperson said the new contract will allow the facility to maintain what the agency describes as the “highest standards of detention” while expanding supervision.
The new contractor will also provide more on-site medical care, additional staff and a “DEFINITE quality assurance oversight plan,” according to ICE.
The updated agreement also strengthens ICE’s direct oversight of operations at the El Paso-area facility, the agency said.
“Far from closing, Camp East Montana is thriving,” the spokesperson said.
The El Paso immigration facility faces scrutiny, but ICE says Camp East Montana is being modernized rather than closed after the $1.2 billion contract expires. (Omar Ornelas/El Paso Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
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The news that the facility will remain open came after the Washington Post reported that the facility may face closure due to scrutiny over operations.
According to the Post, a document was distributed to ICE staff and it was stated that the agency was preparing a letter to terminate the facility’s $1.2 billion contract at an unspecified date.
But ICE officials characterized the contract termination as a deliberate effort by Noem to raise standards and improve services.
Download Image Caption: Distribution: El Paso Times Caption: Camp East Montana is photographed entering a detention center on a bus in El Paso, Texas, on Friday, March 6, 2026. (Omar Ornelas/El Paso Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
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The facility, located at Fort Bliss in Texas, was used to house thousands of detainees as part of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement efforts.
ICE did not immediately provide details on the identity of the new contractor or the timeline for full implementation.
