U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar is sounding the alarm over plans to open another migrant detention facility in the El Paso area.
Escobar’s statement follows reports that warehouses were purchased near Clint, Texas, with an eye toward creating space to house another 8,000 migrants in addition to the thousands already being housed at Camp East Montana on Fort Bliss.
“A private corporation received nearly $30 million through a no-bid federal contract to help design more detention space, including another facility in El Paso,” Escobar, D-El Paso, said in a news release. “Donald Trump and Republicans have been using American taxpayer funds to enrich these private corporations that are responsible for Trump’s mass deportation efforts, including the corporation operating Camp East Montana that limits adequate oversight, has become increasingly fatal, and does not meet minimum standards for detaining human beings.”
The Trump administration’s Camp East Montana ICE immigration detention center as in El Paso, Texas on Aug. 18, 2025.
Reports of a new detention facility come as the Fort Bliss detention center is facing its third migrant death.
“The existing facilities need to be shut down — not proliferated,” Escobar said.
“The $170 billion in funding for these corporate-run tent cities comes from the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill,’” she continued. “This Republican law cut healthcare and nutrition programs for hard-working Americans in order to give the wealthiest Americans massive tax breaks and fund these tent cities and the gestapo-like tactics we are seeing across the country that target U.S. citizens and legal residents.”
More: Frozen meals, pleas for deportation: US Rep. Escobar details visit to ICE camp
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the planned detention centers.
The story is developing. Check back for updates.
Adam Powell covers government and politics for the El Paso Times and can be reached via email at apowell@elpasotimes.com.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Escobar urges halt to expansion amid deaths at ICE detention facility