The Trump administration is reportedly closing Camp East Montana, a controversial immigration detention facility near the Texas-Mexico border, just under eight months after it opened. The decision follows reports of three detainee deaths, a measles outbreak, and widespread criticism over poor living conditions and alleged mistreatment of detainees.

Detainee Deaths and Health Concerns

The facility, part of the Fort Bliss army base, has been the site of three detainee deaths since its opening in July 2025. Among the deceased were Geraldo Lunas Campos, a 55-year-old Cuban migrant who died of asphyxia after witnesses claimed he was choked by guards. Francisco Gaspar-Andres, a 48-year-old Guatemalan man, died from health complications, and Victor Manuel Diaz, a 36-year-old Nicaraguan detainee, was found hanging from a bed sheet and initially labeled a suicide by ICE.

According to the El Paso medical examiner’s office, Lunas Campos’ death was investigated as a homicide after determining he died of asphyxia due to neck and chest compression. ICE initially claimed the man had experienced medical distress, later stating he had tried to take his own life and violently resisted officers. These conflicting accounts have drawn criticism from advocates and lawmakers.

Declining Population and Contract Termination

Camp East Montana’s population has declined significantly in recent weeks, dropping to about 1,500 detainees, roughly half of the 3,000 reported in January and far below its 5,000-person capacity. An internal ICE memo reportedly outlines plans to terminate a $1.2 billion contract awarded to Acquisition Logistics LLC, the private company operating the facility.

The memo did not provide a specific timeline or reason for the decision. However, the facility has faced repeated criticism for harsh living conditions and reports of violent treatment by guards. ICE spokesperson Lauren Bis stated in a statement that the agency is “always looking at ways to improve our detention facilities to ensure we are providing the best care to illegal aliens in our custody.”

Measles Outbreak and Continued Concerns

Detainees at Camp East Montana are currently under quarantine due to a measles outbreak, with at least 14 individuals affected. ICE confirmed this week that the outbreak has led to increased medical scrutiny of the facility’s conditions. The agency has also faced scrutiny over its handling of reports of beatings, food deprivation, and inadequate access to medical care at the site.

Detainees have also complained about round-the-clock noise from construction work and other environmental issues. Despite these concerns, the government has frequently dismissed claims of mistreatment at Camp East Montana and other facilities as “fake news.”

The reported closure of Camp East Montana comes as ICE shifts its focus to a “new detention model” that involves spending more than $38 billion to buy and refurbish up to 24 warehouses nationwide, converting them into immigration detention centers for tens of thousands of people awaiting deportation. Among the buildings already acquired is a former large distribution center about 20 kilometers south of Fort Bliss.

According to Democrats who wrote to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem earlier this year, a record 53 people died in ICE or Customs and Border Protection custody in 2025. Six more have died so far in 2026, in addition to the shooting deaths of two unarmed U.S. citizen protesters by federal immigration officers in Minneapolis in January.

As the administration moves forward with closing Camp East Montana, the decision highlights ongoing concerns about the treatment of detainees in ICE facilities across the country. Advocates and lawmakers continue to call for greater transparency and accountability in the immigration detention system.