The United States 🇺🇸 is building its largest migrant detention center at Fort Bliss, an Army base in El Paso, Texas. Scheduled to open by September 2027, this facility will hold up to 5,000 people, mostly single adult immigrants, and marks a major shift in immigration enforcement under President Trump’s administration.
The new center, described as a “soft-sided facility” because it uses large tent structures, is part of a broader plan to expand detention capacity nationwide. The U.S. Department of Defense has awarded a $1.26 billion contract, with $232 million paid up front, to Acquisition Logistics LLC, a company with little previous experience in running such facilities. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will manage the center, while the Army will oversee spending and provide security.
Recent policy changes have made the situation more urgent. As of July 2025, the Trump administration has ended bond hearings for detained migrants. This means anyone held at a migrant detention center, including the new Fort Bliss facility, must stay in custody for the entire length of their removal proceedings. These proceedings can last months or even years, leading to concerns about overcrowding and long waits. Congress has also passed a $170 billion border and immigration enforcement bill, with $45 billion set aside just for detention.
ICE’s acting director, Todd M. Lyons, has instructed officers to keep migrants in custody until their cases are finished. At the same time, over 100 immigration judges have been fired, slowing down the process even more. Texas already holds more ICE detainees than any other state, and the new policies are expected to make overcrowding worse.
Human rights groups, including Amnesty International and the ACLU, have raised alarms about the use of tent structures in the harsh West Texas desert. They warn about extreme heat, poor living conditions, and a lack of legal access for detainees. “We have seen systemic abuses at El Paso facilities, including arbitrary detention and poor conditions,” Amnesty International reports.
The Trump administration argues that expanding detention is needed for national security and to support mass deportation goals, aiming for 3,000 arrests per day. However, legal experts and advocates say removing bond hearings and reducing the number of judges undermines due process and increases the risk of people being held unfairly.
The Fort Bliss migrant detention center is also the first in a planned network of military-run facilities across the country. If needed, it could expand to hold up to 10,000 people. Local officials, like U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, have visited existing centers and reported both improvements and ongoing problems.
For those affected, the process is clear but tough:
– Migrants are arrested and transferred to ICE custody.
– They are sent to a facility like Fort Bliss.
– They remain detained for the entire court process, with no chance for bond.
– Many wait months or years for a decision.
For more information about ICE detention and removal operations, visit the official ICE website. As reported by VisaVerge.com, the opening of the Fort Bliss center will have far-reaching effects on immigrants, local communities, and the national debate over immigration policy.
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Migrant Detention Center → Facility where migrants are held while awaiting immigration proceedings or deportation.
Bond Hearings → Legal hearings allowing detainees to request release by paying bail during court cases.
Removal Proceedings → Formal legal process to determine whether a migrant must be deported from the U.S.
Acquisition Logistics LLC → Company awarded $1.26 billion contract to build and run Fort Bliss detention facility.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) → U.S. government agency managing detention and removal of undocumented immigrants.
This Article in a Nutshell
The Fort Bliss detention center will be the largest in the U.S., using tent structures and holding 5,000 migrants by 2027, reflecting harsher immigration policies under Trump’s administration with permanent detention and limited legal access.
— By VisaVerge.com
