Federal Report Finds Lost Loaded Gun and Safety Failures at Nation's Largest ICE Detention Center
A Government Accountability Office report found that a contract security guard lost a loaded firearm at Camp East Montana, the nation's largest ICE detention center at Fort Bliss, which remained unfound after two months of searching. The facility, which opened in 2024 under a $1.3 billion contract, has faced numerous allegations of inadequate medical care, unsafe conditions, and use of force incidents. The findings highlight serious oversight failures in a facility housing nearly 3,000 detainees and raise concerns about rushed federal acquisition processes for detention infrastructure.
According to a Government Accountability Office report released Tuesday, a loaded firearm was lost by a contract security guard at Camp East Montana in January and was not recovered after two months of searches, exposing staff, detainees, and the public to significant risk. The facility, located at Fort Bliss Army base in Texas, is the nation's largest ICE detention center, housing approximately 3,000 detainees in tent encampments. Beyond the lost weapon, the GAO report documented multiple serious deficiencies including inadequate medical care for detainees with chronic conditions like HIV and diabetes, a tuberculosis exposure incident, and at least one death ruled a homicide by medical examiner. The facility received at least 130 emergency calls within its first five months of operation and has been the subject of federal lawsuits alleging medical neglect, violent use of force, poor sanitation, and disease outbreaks. The original contractor, Acquisition Logistics, was terminated and replaced by Amentum Services, with the government having already committed at least $600 million of the $1.3 billion contract value. The GAO concluded that the rushed acquisition process resulted in millions of dollars of waste while failing to meet key detention standards.
What's missing
The articles do not provide detailed information about the specific security protocols that should have been in place to prevent firearm loss, nor do they explain the timeline and reasons why the gun remained unfound for two months. Additionally, there is limited information about what happened to the detainee whose death was ruled a homicide or the current status of related investigations.
How coverage differed
The Independent's coverage emphasizes the severity of failures and humanitarian concerns, leading with the lost gun and detailing allegations of abuse and medical neglect. The source quotes ICE's defensive response about improvements while the GAO's critical findings dominate the narrative, reflecting left-leaning editorial priorities around immigration detention conditions.
What different sources said
- The IndependentLeft
ICE guard lost a loaded gun inside country’s biggest detention center, government investigators say
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