Camp East Montana houses an average of nearly 3,000 detainees per day, mostly men without criminal convictions. Detainees have reported overcrowding, medical neglect, malnutrition, emotional distress, and fear of security guards using force. ICE data shows that 80% of detainees at Camp East Montana had no criminal record. However, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson rejected claims of substandard conditions, stating detainees receive food, water, medical treatment, and regular cleaning.
ICE is terminating the contractor Acquisition Logistics and replacing it with Amentum Services to run Camp East Montana. Acquisition Logistics had no prior experience running an ICE detention facility and was awarded a contract worth up to $1.3 billion to build and manage the facility, which was hastily built and opened last summer at Fort Bliss, a U.S. Army base that was once a Japanese American internment camp during World War II. Amentum Services has a nearly $453 million no-bid contract to provide detention, transportation, and medical services at Camp East Montana through September 30.
There have been at least three deaths at Camp East Montana since its opening, including one in January. The facility is closed to visitors until at least March 19 due to a measles outbreak.