The Trump administration is on track to launch Texas’ largest immigration detention facility, aided by a substantial $1.2 billion contract, as reported.
Located at Fort Bliss Army Base in El Paso, the federal government will have the capacity to detain up to 5,000 unauthorized immigrants. This information was disclosed by Bloomberg.
Contracting out the facility to Virginia-based Acquisition Logistics LLC was finalized on September 30, 2027, and a tent city will be established at the base.
The administration aims to develop temporary facilities to accommodate immigrants, responding to the daily influx of approximately 3,000 individuals. This initiative received a significant boost from a new $45 billion allocation for additional detention spaces provided by a comprehensive legislative bill.
This considerable spending plan is expected to double the immigration and customs detention capacity, allowing for up to 100,000 unauthorized immigrants simultaneously, as the administration pursues its goal of deporting one million individuals each year.
Recently, ICE opened a temporary detention center nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz” in Florida’s Everglades, which currently holds around 3,000 unauthorized immigrants, with plans to increase that number to 5,000.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is also exploring the use of two more military bases—Camp Atterbury in Indiana and McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey—for the deportation efforts, according to the Associated Press.
“We are actively searching for bed spaces that meet detention standards,” stated Tom Homan, a key figure in Trump’s border strategy.
“The quicker we can process individuals, the more we can assist those on the streets,” he added.
Fort Bliss has a history of being used for immigration-related purposes and previously accommodated unaccompanied immigrant minors and Afghan refugees following their evacuation from Afghanistan.
