- Democratic lawmakers urged federal officials to close two Texas immigration detention sites following severe measles outbreaks.
- Camp East Montana faces a potential contract termination worth $1.2 billion amid rising health and oversight concerns.
- Outbreaks have halted in-person legal access, sparking intense debate over due process and detainee conditions.
(TEXAS) — Democratic lawmakers urged federal officials to close two Texas immigration detention sites after measles outbreaks at Camp East Montana near El Paso and the Dilley Immigration Processing Center near San Antonio disrupted operations and cut off in-person access for visitors and lawyers.
As of March 5, 2026, the outbreaks fueled demands from Democrats for immediate shutdowns, with lawmakers framing the public health response as inseparable from detention conditions and access to legal counsel.
Camp East Montana, a tent-based setup on the Fort Bliss U.S. Army base, reported 14 active measles cases confirmed inside the facility as of March 4, 2026. Another 112 individuals were in isolation.
In-person visitors and attorneys cannot enter Camp East Montana until at least March 19 or 20, 2026, a restriction that coincided with limits on detainee movement and daily routines inside the site.
The Dilley Immigration Processing Center, also known as the South Texas Family Residential Center, faced a separate measles outbreak earlier in February 2026. The facility houses families and children, heightening concern among lawmakers about the effects of quarantine and movement restrictions on minors.
At Camp East Montana, U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, a Texas Democrat, called for the camp’s closure in a statement on March 3, 2026, describing it as the “epitome of fraud, waste, [and] abuse,” and a “dark chapter” that must end. She said the measles outbreak followed prior COVID-19 and tuberculosis clusters at the same site.
Escobar’s comments added political urgency to an operational crisis that already forced isolation measures and a temporary halt to in-person legal visits. The restrictions left detainees without physical access to attorneys at a time when infection control efforts limited movement and contact.
Contract scrutiny at Camp East Montana sharpened the pressure on the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement as they addressed both the outbreak and broader oversight questions about how the facility operates.
Internal documents obtained by the Washington Post on March 5, 2026, indicated ICE was drafting a letter to terminate the facility’s $1.2 billion contract with Acquisition Logistics LLC.
A DHS spokesperson confirmed on March 5, 2026, that the agency was reviewing the contract, saying, “DHS undergoes rigorous audits and inspections of our facilities to ensure they are meeting our high standards,” while adding that no final decision on termination had been made.
Acquisition Logistics LLC, according to the same set of details about the contracting dispute, reportedly had no prior experience running ICE facilities before receiving a contract worth up to $1.3 billion.
The contracting uncertainty intersected with the health response in immediate ways, with the facility already restricting access as it managed measles cases and a large isolation cohort. Lawmakers pointed to these operational strains as part of a broader argument that the site should not remain open.
At the Dilley Immigration Processing Center, DHS confirmed infections at the start of February. Tricia McLaughlin, DHS Assistant Secretary, confirmed two active infections in an official statement dated February 1, 2026.
“ICE Health Services Corps immediately took steps to quarantine and control further spread and infection, ceasing all movement within the facility,” McLaughlin said.
McLaughlin added on February 3: “Medical staff is continuing to monitor the detainees’ conditions and will take appropriate and active steps to prevent further infection. All detainees are being provided with proper medical care.”
Lawmakers responded by calling for the facility to close, arguing that the outbreak demonstrated an inability to handle emergency health conditions inside a family detention setting.
U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, a Texas Democrat, called for the facility to be “shut down immediately,” saying it was unequipped for medical emergencies.
U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, also a Texas Democrat, criticized conditions after visiting a 5-year-old detainee. Crockett said the treatment was “worse than those who are accused and sometimes even convicted of crimes.”
Beyond infection control, the measles outbreaks raised concerns about access to counsel and due process as facilities suspended visits, restricted movement, and shifted proceedings away from in-person contact.
At Camp East Montana, the suspension of in-person visits for attorneys through at least March 19 or 20, 2026, meant detainees could not meet with lawyers face-to-face inside the facility during the outbreak response.
Movement halts and quarantine rules can also limit how detainees communicate, with virtual channels becoming the primary option for attorney contact and for asylum proceedings when facilities curtail physical access.
Democratic lawmakers and critics tied those limitations directly to their closure demands, arguing that public health measures layered onto detention operations can compound barriers to legal assistance.
The outbreaks unfolded amid a broader measles resurgence in the United States, with over 2,200 cases in 2025. Critics argued that congregate settings accelerate spread of preventable diseases.
Detention facilities, by design, place large numbers of people in close quarters, often sharing sleeping areas, bathrooms, dining spaces, and common areas. Rapid turnover and the arrival of new detainees can further complicate containment when a contagious illness spreads.
Officials cited common containment measures such as isolation, quarantine, and medical monitoring, steps that can reduce transmission risk while also restricting daily movement and face-to-face contact for those inside.
The current administration, meanwhile, sought to expand detention capacity by converting warehouses into additional facilities across Texas, creating a policy conflict with Democrats and advocates who demanded closures in response to disease spread and conditions.
Information about the outbreaks and the government’s position has flowed through DHS and ICE communications and state health tracking. DHS posted updates and statements through its newsroom at the Department of Homeland Security Newsroom, while ICE maintained its own information channel through the ICE Newsroom.
Escobar’s March 3, 2026, statement appeared on her official website at the official press release page for Rep. Veronica Escobar. State-level tracking referenced the Texas Department of State Health Services at the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS), which tracked the initial cases in February 2026.
As of March 5, 2026, DHS framed its posture around outbreak controls and a continuing review of the Camp East Montana contract, while Democrats pressed for closures at both sites and pointed to legal-access disruptions alongside public health risks.
Crockett’s critique captured the tone of the political backlash over detention conditions during the outbreak, calling the treatment of a 5-year-old detainee “worse than those who are accused and sometimes even convicted of crimes.”
