Federal immigration officials announced Friday they are firing the company operating the nation’s biggest immigration detention center and bringing in a new firm with more expertise to enhance healthcare and other services.
The management change at Camp East Montana in El Paso, Texas, follows mounting criticism about conditions that people held there have characterized as cruel and inhumane since the facility was rapidly built and opened last year.
Housing nearly 3,000 detainees across six sprawling tent complexes on average, the facility has faced growing evidence supporting allegations of overcrowding, inadequate medical treatment, poor nutrition and psychological trauma. The camp also recently experienced a measles outbreak, prompting several Democratic lawmakers to demand its closure.
People detained there report difficulty accessing medications and healthcare, dramatic weight loss due to insufficient food, and fear of security personnel who reportedly use excessive force. Emergency services received at least 130 calls during the camp’s initial five months of operation, including responses to two deaths, multiple suicide attempts, altercations and medical crises, according to Associated Press reporting last week.
The dismissed primary contractor, Acquisition Logistics, LLC, had secured a contract last year valued at up to $1.3 billion to construct and operate the facility at Fort Bliss Army base. The company had never previously managed an ICE detention center, had no history of winning federal contracts exceeding $16 million, and operated without a working website.
ICE has chosen Amentum Services, Inc., which had been working as a subcontractor at Camp East Montana, to become the new primary contractor, according to a federal announcement published Wednesday and confirmed by an agency representative who declined to be identified. The Washington Post first reported the contractor change on Wednesday.
The agency representative would not explain what led to ending Acquisition Logistics’ agreement, which government records indicate was scheduled to continue until September 30, 2027, and has already cost taxpayers nearly $600 million.
ICE stated it recently finished inspecting conditions at Camp East Montana, though those findings remain confidential. Acquisition Logistics and its president and CEO Ken Wagner did not respond to requests for comment.
Immigration officials said Amentum, recognized for its work supporting military and intelligence operations, was the best choice to assume control and enhance facility operations.
“Amentum’s size, maturity and pedigree make them the right partner at the right time,” the spokesperson said. “We will work closely with them in their implementation of higher standards of medical care, more thorough case processing and intake procedures, and delivery of performance requirements according to well-defined accountability measures.”
Representative Veronica Escobar, an El Paso Democrat representing the area where the camp operates, welcomed Friday’s news that Acquisition Logistics had been removed. She renewed her demands for the facility’s permanent shutdown and called for investigations into the contractors for “the fraud they’ve perpetrated on the American taxpayer.”
“Whether the new contractor is an improvement remains to be seen, and I remain deeply concerned about the chronic substandard conditions that exist at Camp East Montana,” said Escobar, who has visited the facility seven times.
Headquartered in Chantilly, Virginia, Amentum’s parent organization describes itself as a “global advanced engineering and technology solutions provider” working with U.S. government agencies and other clients. The company has previously delivered services for ICE and other Department of Homeland Security components.
The federal contracting announcement indicated ICE was pursuing a sole-source agreement with Amentum to operate Camp East Montana, including providing secure accommodations, medical services and transportation. The document suggested a 180-day contract duration, leaving uncertain what would occur at Camp East Montana afterward.
“The contractor must demonstrate the capacity for rapid operational transition and sustained adherence to all regulatory and performance requirements, thereby safeguarding public safety and supporting national enforcement priorities,” the notice said.
The announcement cited the “proprietary nature” of the facility’s systems as justification for why only Amentum could maintain continuous operations there.
The center was designed for brief stays before detainees are transferred elsewhere, with ICE data showing an average nine-day detention period. However, some individuals have remained for weeks or months while contesting their detention or facing administrative delays related to their deportation cases.
This contractor change occurs as ICE prepares to operate warehouse-style facilities nationwide designed to house significantly more detainees than Camp East Montana, with some proposed locations planned for up to 8,500 people. Escobar urged ICE to cancel plans for these warehouses, including one proposed near El Paso, saying they would “serve only as tools for the administration’s inhumanity.”
