GAO Report Reveals Serious Safety and Health Failures at Largest ICE Detention Center
A Government Accountability Office investigation found that Camp East Montana, the largest ICE detention facility in the U.S., lost a loaded firearm, failed to test detainees for tuberculosis, and did not provide treatment for chronic health conditions. The facility, located at Fort Bliss near El Paso, Texas, opened in August 2025 and has experienced multiple deaths, disease outbreaks, and serious operational failures. The findings highlight critical gaps in oversight and contractor accountability within the immigration detention system.
The GAO report documented multiple serious performance failures at Camp East Montana, including a contracted security guard losing a loaded firearm in January 2026 that remained unrecovered as of March 2026. The facility failed to administer required tuberculosis tests, instead relying on symptom questionnaires, which resulted in a detainee with active tuberculosis being housed with the general population. Additionally, the contractor did not conduct comprehensive health assessments, leaving detainees with chronic conditions such as diabetes and HIV without required treatment plans. The investigation also found that evidence associated with a detainee death—initially ruled a presumed suicide but later determined to be a homicide by the local coroner—was missing or destroyed. The facility has experienced three detainee deaths, tuberculosis and measles outbreaks, and a fatal construction accident since opening less than a year prior. ICE terminated the contractor, Acquisition Logistics LLC, in mid-March 2026, citing the company's lack of prior experience operating immigration detention centers.
What's missing
The report lacks detailed information about the specific conditions that led to the facility's opening despite apparent inadequate preparation, and limited discussion of what systemic changes or oversight mechanisms are being implemented to prevent similar failures at other detention facilities. Additionally, minimal coverage of the broader context regarding ICE detention facility standards and how Camp East Montana's failures compare to other facilities.
How coverage differed
NBC News framed the report with emphasis on systemic failures and accountability gaps, using language like 'serious performance and oversight challenges' and highlighting the contractor's inexperience. Coverage focused on detainee welfare and safety concerns. Other outlets may have emphasized different aspects such as operational challenges or resource constraints, though the core GAO findings remain consistent across credible sources.
What different sources said
- NBC NewsLeft
Problems at ICE facility include guard who lost loaded weapon, failure to test for tuberculosis, report says
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