EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — El Paso Congresswoman Veronica Escobar raises concerns over waste, fraud, and abuse at the new immigration detention center inside Fort Bliss.
During a live interview with KFOX14/CBS4, Escobar highlighted issues with subcontractors failing to deliver services at Camp East Montana, a tent detention facility for migrants, which reportedly cost taxpayers $1.24 billion.
RELATED: Human rights groups reiterate allegations of abuse at Fort Bliss detention site
“Subcontractors who are supposed to deliver laundry services… are not doing it,” Escobar said, noting that detainees are reporting that they themselves are washing their clothes in their sinks while the subcontractor continues to receive payment for these services.
Escobar also pointed out that janitorial services, meant to be daily, are reportedly only performed once every 10 days.
Escobar emphasized the need for oversight, despite Democrats being in the minority.
“I have visited Camp East Montana four times now. And, and just for context, I think it’s really important for El Pasoans to know that this is part of the job that members of Congress are supposed to do,” Escobar said, adding that it is important to make sure that taxes are being spent appropriately.
However, Escobar noted that she believes it has been difficult to get her colleagues from across the aisle to get on board with scrutinizing the camp, as she said, “Unfortunately, not everyone believes that we should provide humanitarian care to human beings in our custody.”
Escobar said she has tried to appeal to Republican colleagues on fiscal grounds, arguing that while people lose healthcare and joblessness rises, the government pays billions for inadequate services at Camp East Montana.
“Republicans do not seem at all bothered by the fact that American taxpayers keep dishing out billions of dollars for services that are not being delivered,” Escobar said.
Harrison Parker reports on El Paso Congresswoman demanding accountability for Camp East Montana.
RELATED: Escobar, 122 Democrats push for reform with Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act
As it has been reported, Escobar and over 100 Democratic leaders, along with human rights advocates, have demanded action to address issues at Camp East Montana.
Local advocacy groups including the ACLU, gathered to speak out against Camp East Montana{ } Detention Center on Thursday, August 21, 2025. (Credit: KFOX14/CBS4)
From introducing the “Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act,” which calls for the establishment of oversight over these types of centers, to sending letters and testimonies from detainees to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
However, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has categorically denied allegations that conditions in Camp East Montana are inhumane.
A DHS official dismissed the claims as “fearmongering clickbait,” asserting that detainees receive proper meals, medical treatment, and opportunities to communicate with lawyers and family members.
Below is DHS’s full statement:This is fearmongering clickbait. As our brave ICE law enforcement is facing a more than 1,150% increase in assaults against them, KFOX14 is choosing to smear them with anonymous allegations. Here are the facts: any claim that there are ‘inhumane’ conditions at ICE detention centers are categorically false. No detainees are being beaten or abused. All detainees are provided with proper meals, medical treatment, access to showers, and have opportunities to communicate with lawyers and their family members. It is a longstanding practice to provide comprehensive medical care from the moment an alien enters ICE custody. This is the best healthcare that many aliens have received in their entire lives. Meals are certified by dieticians. No lawbreakers in the history of human civilization have been treated better than illegal aliens in the United States. Get a grip.These third-country agreements, which ensure due process under the U.S. Constitution, are essential to the safety of our homeland and the American people. If you break our laws and come to our country illegally, you could end up in any number of third countries. President Trump and Secretary Noem are using every tool available to get criminal illegal aliens out of American communities and out of our country. Our message is clear: Criminals are not welcome in the United States. These third-country agreements, which ensure due process under the U.S. Constitution, are essential to the safety of our homeland and the American people.
RELATED: DHS refutes allegations of poor conditions at Fort Bliss migrant detention center
The Department of Homeland Security has not disclosed full contract details for companies involved in the camp’s operations, complicating independent verification.
Public records link Acquisition Logistics LLC to construction work at the site, but a complete list of service providers remains undisclosed.
To learn more about the contractor behind Camp East Montana, read KFOX14’s Robert Holguin’s special report, A Virginia home behind the $1.24B Fort Bliss migrant detention center?
WATCH FULL INTERVIEW:
Veronica Escobar LIVE interview on Camp East Montana.
In response to Escobar, Michael Aboud, chairman of the El Paso Republican Party, dismissed the complaints, stating,
I haven’t heard anything about any problems with the camp. I know that the congresswoman is constantly saying stuff about it. She hates it and everything else.
Aboud suggested that those speaking out have their own motivations, saying, “They’re always going to complain because they hate Republicans. Lawyers are paid to find reasons to complain.”
Escobar countered skepticism about her account, asserting, “The same individual who says people like me can’t be trusted is likely the same individual who believes anything Donald Trump says. If Donald Trump says the sky is yellow, even if they see it’s blue, they’ll repeat that it’s yellow.”
Efforts to reach Congressman Tony Gonzales for comment were unsuccessful.
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