The landscape of U.S. immigration enforcement is undergoing a seismic shift this summer as the federal government rapidly expands detention capacity across the country, with Texas and Arizona at the epicenter of this controversial transformation. The opening of Camp East Montana—also dubbed "Lone Star Lockup" by its supporters—on the grounds of Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, marks the largest of a new wave of migrant detention centers, igniting fierce debate among politicians, advocates, and local communities.
Camp East Montana officially opened its doors on August 17, 2025, immediately housing 1,000 migrants, with the capability to expand to a staggering 5,000-bed capacity. According to ABC News and corroborated by TIME, over $1 billion has been earmarked for the facility’s expansion, making it the most significant federal immigration detention investment in U.S. history. The Department of Defense awarded a $232 million upfront contract to Acquisition Logistics LLC for the construction, which is set to be completed by September 2027, as reported by the Texas Tribune.
But the opening was anything but quiet. Protesters gathered outside the Cassidy Gate of Fort Bliss, voicing their opposition to the facility and the Trump administration’s broader immigration policies. Marisa Limon Garza, executive director of Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, stood among them, demanding, “At a minimum, we need access to people who have due process and should have access to attorneys.” Her concerns echo those of many advocates who worry that the isolated location and military oversight will restrict detainees’ rights and access to legal representation.
These worries aren’t unfounded. On August 18, 2025, a federal judge in Florida heard arguments from lawyers representing detainees at the so-called "Alligator Alcatraz" detention center, where reports indicate that migrants are being held without formal criminal or immigration charges and struggle to access attorneys. The ACLU has drawn parallels between the Florida facility and Fort Bliss, warning that “isolating people on military bases heightens the risk of abuse and neglect.” The group specifically points to limited communication with legal counsel and families, and restricted access to medical care.
The Trump administration, however, frames the Fort Bliss center as a critical piece in its push to “decompress ICE detention facilities in other regions” and to “streamline and expedite removal processes.” Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin of the Department of Homeland Security stated, “Under President Trump’s leadership, we are working at turbo speed on cost-effective and innovative ways to deliver on the American people’s mandate for mass deportations of criminal illegal aliens.” She added that the "One Big Beautiful Bill" has provided “historic funding to help us carry out this mandate, especially by securing enough detention capacity to maintain an average daily population of 100,000 illegal aliens and 80,000 new ICE beds.”
McLaughlin also insisted that the Fort Bliss facility “offers everything a traditional ICE detention facility offers, including access to legal representation and a law library, access to visitation, recreational space, medical treatment space and nutritionally balanced meals. It also provides necessary accommodations for disabilities, diet, and religious beliefs.” Immigration officials told TIME that the structure’s amenities are designed to meet all federal requirements, though critics remain skeptical.
The expansion at Fort Bliss is just one part of a much larger strategy. According to an exclusive Washington Post report, the Trump administration plans to double ICE’s nationwide detention capacity in 2025, aiming to detain over 107,000 people at once—up from about 54,500 at the start of the year and nearly 66,000 by July. Texas alone is set to double its own capacity, with the ability to house 38,000 people by the end of the year. Arizona, too, is seeing a dramatic increase, with more than 1,200 new detention beds being added, making it the state with the fifth-largest ICE detention footprint in the country.
Local communities are feeling the pressure. In Arizona, facilities like the Maricopa County Jail and Marana Correctional Facility—previously unused for immigration detention—are being repurposed, while the Central Arizona Florence Correctional Center is expanding. Yet, as Jordan Garcia of the American Friends Service Committee pointed out to the Washington Post, local authorities have little say over the operations of these federally contracted sites, leading to frustration and a sense of powerlessness among residents.
Back in El Paso, the political divide over Fort Bliss is stark. Democratic Rep. Veronica Escobar, after touring the new detention center, questioned the wisdom of its funding: “I want you to think about how much good that money could do in El Paso if it were spent on the community, if it were spent on access to child care for El Paso kids, if it were spent on universal pre-K for El Paso kids, if it were spent on health care for El Pasoans.” She argued that the resources would be better used to support local families rather than expanding mass detention.
On the other side, Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas dismissed concerns about due process and detainee rights, stating, “It’s important for people to understand we are not talking gardeners or housekeepers. These are people who didn’t show up to court-ordered hearings. There is no due process concern. They have no legal right to be here.” Cornyn also told KFOX14 that the Lone Star Lockup would be “humane, safe facilities and a vast improvement of what these folks are used to.” Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales praised the military base as “an amazing military facility,” emphasizing its suitability for the task.
Yet, the debate is not just about politics or budgets; it’s also about transparency and community impact. El Paso County Commissioner Jackie Butler introduced a resolution opposing the facility, which passed unanimously. “The people of El Paso deserve transparency when a billion-dollar, taxpayer-funded facility is placed in their backyard,” Butler said. “We don’t know who will staff this facility. We don’t know how detainees will be treated. And we don’t know how our local law enforcement, infrastructure, and community services will be affected. That’s unacceptable.”
The history of Fort Bliss itself adds another layer of complexity. Established after the Mexican-American War to “defend” the southern border, it served as an internment camp for Japanese Americans during World War II and, more recently, as an emergency shelter for unaccompanied migrant children under both the Obama and Biden administrations. In 2021, whistleblower complaints highlighted mismanagement and concerns over public health and safety at the site.
As the U.S. government pushes forward with its unprecedented expansion of immigration detention, the battle lines are drawn between those who see the new mega-facilities as necessary tools for law enforcement and those who view them as emblematic of a system that prioritizes detention over due process and humane treatment. The months ahead will test whether these new centers deliver on promises of safety, transparency, and justice—or deepen the controversies already surrounding America’s immigration system.
