ICE says Camp East Montana detention facility staying open, not closing

EXCLUSIVE: Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said Camp East Montana in El Paso, Texas, will remain open and is undergoing operational upgrades, Fox News Digital has learned.

“Camp East Montana is NOT closing, quite the contrary,” an ICE spokesperson told Fox News Digital exclusively on Tuesday.

“To the contrary, ICE contracted with a new vendor following Secretary Noem’s termination of the old contract inherited from the Department of War. ICE is always looking for ways to improve our detention centers to ensure we provide the best care to the illegal aliens in our custody.”

Camp East Montana is pictured Friday, March 6, 2026 in El Paso, Texas. (Omar Ornelas/El Paso Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

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The spokesperson said the new contract will allow the facility to maintain what the agency described as the “highest detention standards” while expanding oversight.

According to ICE, the new contractor will also provide increased on-site medical care, additional staffing and an “ACCURATE quality assurance monitoring plan.”

The agency said the updated agreement also strengthens ICE’s direct oversight of operations at El Paso-area facilities.

“Far from being closed, Camp East Montana is being modernized,” the spokesperson said.

The El Paso immigration center is under scrutiny, but ICE says Camp East Montana is being upgraded, not closed, after the $1.2 billion contract was terminated. (Omar Ornelas/El Paso Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

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The news that the facility will remain open comes after The Washington Post reported that the facility could be closed amid increased scrutiny of its operations.

A document was distributed to ICE staff, the Post reported, indicating that the agency was drafting a letter to terminate the facility’s $1.2 billion contract at an unspecified date.

ICE officials, however, called the contract termination a deliberate effort by Noem to raise standards and improve services.

Download Image Title: Syndication: El Paso Times Caption: Camp East Montana is pictured Friday, March 6, 2026 in El Paso, Texas, as a bus enters the detention center. (Omar Ornelas/El Paso Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

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The facility, located at Fort Bliss in Texas, was used to house thousands of detainees as part of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement efforts.

ICE did not immediately provide details on the identity of the new contractor or the timeline for full implementation.