Camp East Montana's rapid launch under a $1.3 billion contract led to taxpayer-funded inefficiencies, safety concerns, and oversight failures, according to a new Government Accountability Office review.
WASHINGTON, D.C. | A new report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) is raising serious questions about how federal agencies rapidly expanded immigration detention operations following the Trump administration’s January 2025 immigration enforcement directives.
The report, released June 9, 2026, found that Camp East Montana—the largest immigration detention facility ever operated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)—experienced significant cost overruns, operational inefficiencies, and security shortcomings after it was opened on an accelerated timeline at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas.
According to GAO auditors, the U.S. Army and ICE rushed the planning, procurement, and construction process to meet directives from senior federal leadership, resulting in a series of costly mistakes that taxpayers continue to fund.
Billions Authorized, Millions Wasted
Camp East Montana was established under a contract valued at approximately $1.3 billion and designed to house up to 5,000 detained non-citizens. However, occupancy levels have consistently fallen well below that threshold.
At the end of February 2026, the facility housed roughly 1,600 detainees—less than one-third of its designed capacity.
Despite the lower population, the original contract required ICE to pay the full cost of meals and operational services regardless of actual occupancy levels. GAO investigators found that the government paid for meals and services even during the first two weeks of August 2025, when no detainees were housed at the facility.
Auditors concluded that the contract structure resulted in millions of dollars in unnecessary expenditures and warned that tens of millions more could be saved if ICE adopts flexible pricing mechanisms tied to actual population levels.
“ICE continues to pay for meals it does not need,” the report noted, despite the agency's decision to terminate the original contract and select a new contractor in April 2026.
Detention Standards Not Met
Beyond financial concerns, GAO identified significant operational and security deficiencies that existed when the facility began housing detainees.
Investigators found that Camp East Montana initially lacked several critical features required under ICE detention standards, including:
- Perimeter security camera systems
- Outdoor recreation facilities
- Dedicated attorney visitation areas
- Family visitation spaces
The report states that ICE failed to conduct a required inspection before detainees were transferred into the facility, preventing agency officials from identifying these deficiencies before operations began.
Subsequent inspections uncovered additional concerns, including:
- Gaps in medical care services
- Unsanitary living conditions
- Security management failures
- The loss of a loaded firearm within the facility
GAO concluded that these deficiencies created “serious risks” for both detainees and facility personnel.
Executive Order Accelerated Expansion
The findings come amid a dramatic increase in federal immigration enforcement efforts.
Following a January 2025 Executive Order directing expanded immigration enforcement operations, ICE's average daily detention population increased by approximately 71 percent between January 20, 2025, and April 1, 2026.
To accommodate the surge, federal agencies moved quickly to expand detention capacity nationwide.
GAO investigators found that the compressed timeline influenced key procurement decisions, including the use of a contracting vehicle not previously utilized for detention services and the selection of a contractor lacking prior detention management experience.
Army and ICE officials told auditors that directives from senior leadership left little flexibility in determining acquisition schedules.
Lessons for Future Facilities
While the report focuses specifically on Camp East Montana, GAO officials emphasized that the findings offer broader lessons for future detention expansion efforts.
Among the key recommendations:
- Implement occupancy-based pricing models.
- Improve contract flexibility.
- Require facility inspections before detainee intake.
- Strengthen contractor oversight.
- Enhance medical and security compliance monitoring.
The report argues that balancing rapid operational expansion with fiscal accountability and detention standards will be critical as federal agencies continue to address immigration enforcement demands.
For policymakers, the findings provide a rare, detailed look into the challenges of scaling detention infrastructure under emergency timelines. For taxpayers, the report highlights the financial risks associated with large-scale federal contracts executed under compressed schedules.
As ICE continues expanding detention capacity nationwide, GAO warns that without corrective action, similar operational and financial problems could emerge at future facilities.
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