The United States is moving ahead with the construction of its largest-ever migrant detention facility, to be located on a military base in Texas. The new complex will be built at Fort Bliss, near the Mexican border, and is expected to significantly increase the country’s capacity to hold people detained under immigration laws.
According to the Pentagon, the first stage of the project will provide space for 1,000 migrants and will be operational within weeks. The site, officially named Camp East Montana, is part of a broader push by the Trump administration to accelerate the arrest and deportation of undocumented migrants. The Department of Defense says the facility will eventually expand to 5,000 beds “in the weeks and months ahead.”
When complete, Camp East Montana will surpass all existing federal immigration detention sites in size, making it the largest facility of its kind in US history. The complex will feature short-term, tent-like housing structures funded by the Defense Department, according to US media reports citing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). While the facility will be built and equipped by the military, operational control is expected to be handed to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) once migrants begin arriving.
The announcement comes amid record detention levels. ICE figures show that nearly 57,000 people are currently being held nationwide, a historic high. The vast majority, according to government statistics, have no criminal convictions — despite President Donald Trump’s repeated claims that enforcement efforts target “dangerous criminals.”
During Trump’s first term, the Pentagon rejected proposals to use military sites for migrant detention, citing concerns over military readiness. That position has shifted during his second term, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth approving similar uses for military bases in New Jersey and Indiana.
The expansion is part of a wider strategy that has also included large-scale ICE raids at factories, farms, and urban neighborhoods across the US. These raids, often involving armed and masked agents, have been criticized by migrant advocacy groups for instilling fear in immigrant communities.
Earlier in the year, Trump ordered preparations for a 30,000-capacity migrant facility at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp in Cuba, though that site has not come close to housing its intended number of detainees. Thousands of active-duty troops have also been deployed to the U.S.-Mexico border as part of the administration’s border security agenda.
Congress recently approved $45 billion for building new immigration detention centers, signaling further expansion in the coming years. Human rights organizations warn that such large-scale facilities risk worsening humanitarian conditions and limiting legal access for detainees.
Why is the US building a new migrant detention center in Texas?
The government says the new center will expand capacity to detain undocumented migrants, improve processing speed, and increase coordination between the military and DHS. Critics argue it will escalate mass detention practices and worsen humanitarian concerns.
How big will the Texas facility be?
Camp East Montana will start with 1,000 beds and expand to 5,000, making it the largest migrant detention center in US history.