U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement plans to keep one of its largest and most expensive detention facilities open for at least another year despite sustained calls for its closure from advocacy organizations, human rights groups, and Democratic lawmakers.
ICE announced it will extend its no-bid contract with Amentum Services Inc. to operate Camp East Montana in El Paso, Texas, through September 30, 2027, at a potential additional cost to taxpayers of $776 million. This adds to the $452 million initial contract Amentum was awarded in March 2026 when the company was brought in to replace a previous contractor that had been removed for poor performance.
Camp East Montana, located on Fort Bliss Army Base near the U.S.-Mexico border, is the nation’s largest immigration detention center. The facility consists of five tent-like structures that can house up to 5,000 detainees. It began operations in August 2025 and has housed an average of more than 2,000 male and female detainees daily, though the population has declined in recent months according to ICE data.
In its justification for the no-bid contract extension, ICE argued that relocating detainees to other facilities would be “impracticable” due to a lack of available bed space elsewhere. The agency also said that transitioning to a different contractor would require replacing Amentum’s proprietary infrastructure and finding new workers, which would lead to duplicative costs. According to the notice, “Any lapse in contract coverage would directly threaten the life, safety, and well-being of detainees, severely disrupt law enforcement operations, and expose the government to substantial operational, legal, and humanitarian risks.”
The decision to extend the contract directly contradicts growing calls for the facility’s closure. Multiple human rights organizations and Democratic members of Congress have demanded ICE shut down Camp East Montana, citing widespread documented abuses.
A comprehensive 84-page joint report released in July 2026 by Human Rights Watch and the American Civil Liberties Union documented serious abuse at the facility. The report, based on interviews with 80 people including 71 currently detained at Camp East Montana between October 2025 and June 2026, found that detainees experienced indiscriminate beatings, life-threatening medical neglect, and conditions that may constitute enforced disappearance under international law. The report’s title, “You’re Only Getting Out Deported or Dead,” reflected detainees’ descriptions of their circumstances.
Detainees interviewed for the report described being beaten by guards, denied necessary medical care, and prevented from contacting family members or lawyers. Some recounted living in overcrowded housing areas with bathrooms covered in feces and urine, and living quarters flooded with dirty water. Detainees reported being fed inedible meals and lacking basic hygiene supplies, leading to infections and health complications.
The report also documented allegations that detainees were coerced into removal to unfamiliar third countries, even when their immigration cases remained open. In one particularly troubling account, a detainee said an officer grabbed his genitals and forced his fingers into the man’s ears.
Three detainees have died at Camp East Montana since its opening. Francisco Gaspar-Andres of Guatemala died in December 2025 from apparent kidney failure. Victor Manuel Diaz of Nicaragua died on January 14, 2026, with ICE reporting his death as suicide. Most significantly, Geraldo Lunas Campos died on January 3, 2026, in what witnesses described as an asphyxiation by guards after he requested medication. His death was ruled a homicide by the El Paso County Coroner. Researchers for the Human Rights Watch and ACLU report documented witness accounts stating that masked guards beat Lunas Campos, with one man saying he heard Lunas Campos scream “I can’t breathe” multiple times before everything went silent.
Federal investigators have also documented serious problems at the facility. An internal ICE investigation found 49 violations of detention standards, including failures to properly document suicide prevention checks and inadequate medical care. A Government Accountability Office report similarly noted that detainees with chronic health conditions did not receive proper care, citing the lack of treatment plans for those with HIV or diabetes.
In March 2026, ICE had terminated its original contract with Acquisition Logistics LLC, a private company with no prior detention experience that had been awarded a $1.3 billion initial contract. ICE said Acquisition Logistics’ contract “did not accurately reflect ICE’s operational needs or the actual usage of the facility.” Amentum, a Virginia-based company, was brought in as a replacement despite having its own troubled history operating detention facilities.
If the Amentum contract runs through September 2027 as planned, the company stands to be paid more than $1.2 billion total for operating the camp from March 2026 through September 2027.
Advocacy groups and Democratic lawmakers have called for not only the closure of Camp East Montana but also independent investigations into all deaths in custody, alleged abuses, and excessive use of force. Human Rights Watch and the ACLU specifically demanded that the U.S. government close the facility and conduct meaningful independent investigations into the documented violations, while holding responsible parties accountable and providing remedies to those harmed. They also called for an end to immigration detention policies that contribute to widespread rights violations.
Despite these sustained demands, ICE has shown no indication of plans to close the facility or conduct an independent investigation. The extension of Amentum’s contract represents a clear rejection of closure calls, ensuring the facility will continue operations for at least another year amid ongoing concerns about detainee safety and welfare.