The Fort Bliss detention center will have a new administrator after a thorough review.
Key Takeaways
- DHS intends to shift management of Camp East Montana at Fort Bliss, the nation’s largest immigrant detention site, to Amentum via a no-bid award.
- The move follows three in-custody deaths, including one ruled a homicide, and reported outbreaks of tuberculosis and measles.
- Amentum, previously a subcontractor at the facility, will replace Acquisition Logistics, which had a $1.2 billion contract awarded last year.
- ICE says the change aims to strengthen medical care, intake, and case processing under defined performance accountability.
- The interim contract is expected to last about 180 days to ensure continuity after the current agreement’s termination.
A major handover at the largest ICE detention site
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) plans to award Amentum Services Inc., based in Chantilly, Virginia, a non-competitive contract to manage Camp East Montana at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, it has been reported. The facility—described as the nation’s largest immigrant detention site—held nearly 3,000 people in mid-February and was built rapidly to support the Trump administration’s mass deportation strategy, which calls for doubling detention capacity nationwide. Amentum would assume the prime role from Acquisition Logistics, a smaller Virginia contractor that won a $1.2 billion deal last July to build and operate the camp.
Deaths and disease outbreaks drive scrutiny
The shift follows a spate of serious incidents. Three detainees have died at Camp East Montana this year. The January 3 death of 55-year-old Cuban national Geraldo Lunas Campo was ruled a homicide by asphyxia due to compression of the neck and torso, according to the final autopsy report. Reported outbreaks of tuberculosis and measles have further intensified oversight of the facility. A DHS spokesperson previously told NBC News that the Acquisition Logistics contract was “inherited” from the Department of Defense and that DHS was reviewing both the site and the agreement.
What DHS and ICE say will change
DHS said the new award to Amentum is for the immediate provision of housing, medical care, transportation, and compliance with ICE detention standards, with an estimated term of 180 days to maintain operations after the current contract’s termination. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) indicated Amentum has been a close partner at Fort Bliss and was “best suited” to assume full management, citing the company’s size and track record. ICE said it will work with Amentum to implement higher medical care standards, more thorough intake and case processing, and clearer performance requirements with defined accountability. Amentum and Acquisition Logistics did not immediately comment, according to NBC News.
What this means for detainees, families, and attorneys
For people currently detained—and those who may be transferred to Fort Bliss—short-term changes are likely to focus on medical services, intake screening, and case management procedures as ICE enforces Performance-Based National Detention Standards (PBNDS) or similar benchmarks. In practice, that can affect access to clinicians, quarantines during outbreaks, and how quickly files move to immigration court. For attorneys and families, a contractor transition can temporarily disrupt visitation or communications, but ICE says the no-bid, interim award is designed to keep operations continuous while tightening oversight. Individuals with pending cases should monitor for any transfer notices, maintain updated attorney contact information, and document conditions issues for possible complaints to DHS oversight offices.
Source: Original Article