The U.S. government has awarded a multimillion-dollar contract for the construction of a large-scale immigration detention center in El Paso, Texas. This significantly expands federal detention capacity amid continued mass enforcement directives.
$232 Million Contract Signals Detention Infrastructure Expansion
The Trump administration has initiated construction on a new 5,000-bed immigration detention facility in West Texas. Procurement records confirm that the U.S. Department of Defense awarded a $232 million contract to Acquisition Logistics, a Virginia-based government contractor, for the development of the facility.
The contract was announced under Army funding and designated as a “soft-sided facility,” a term often used to refer to tent-based or temporary encampments. The structure is planned for El Paso, a region home to Fort Bliss and an area heavily utilized for immigration enforcement operations due to its location along the U.S.–Mexico border.
New Facility Dedicated to Single Adult Detainees
According to federal procurement documentation, the facility is intended for the detention of single adult immigrants in U.S. custody. It will serve as a centralized holding site for individuals apprehended during enforcement operations by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The announcement follows a recent surge in investment in detention infrastructure. In addition to the West Texas build, authorities in Florida recently opened another temporary detention site on a remote airstrip in the Everglades. That facility, referred to as “Alligator Alcatraz,” was constructed rapidly in response to rising detention demands.
Part of $170 Billion Border Security Package
Construction of the El Paso facility comes in the wake of a sweeping border security law signed by President Donald Trump. The legislation authorized $170 billion in federal funding for immigration and border enforcement initiatives over a period of multiple years. Of that total, $45 billion has been designated specifically for the development and maintenance of detention infrastructure.
ICE’s operational funding is also set to increase sharply, with agency appropriations expected to grow by $76.5 billion over the next five years. This expansion represents nearly a tenfold increase in the agency’s current annual budget. It marks one of the most significant single funding increases in ICE’s history. El Paso’s selection as the site for the new detention camp reflects its strategic importance to federal immigration operations. The city’s proximity to the southern border and the presence of military and law enforcement infrastructure makes it a recurring choice for detention expansion.
The facility is being developed near Fort Bliss, which has previously been used to house unaccompanied minors and other detainees under federal supervision. Its repurposing or expansion to include adult detainees under the current plan shows a continued shift in enforcement priorities.
Facility Construction Expected to Accelerate Processing
Once operational, the new facility is expected to significantly increase federal processing capacity and alleviate logistical pressures on ICE’s existing network of detention centers. The 5,000-bed expansion will also offer flexibility in response to fluctuating enforcement volumes and policy shifts.
Although the number of illegal border crossings has declined in recent months, the administration continues to press forward with large-scale infrastructure projects intended to support future removal operations. The El Paso facility is likely to play a crucial role in those efforts.
What’s Ahead? Oversight, Operations, and Legal Review
Civil rights groups and legal advocates have expressed concerns about the size and location of new immigration detention centers, especially those built with temporary materials and on tight schedules. Details about the El Paso facility, including oversight methods and detention conditions, are expected to receive more attention as construction continues.
As implementation progresses, legal observers anticipate ongoing lawsuits and requests for increased transparency.
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Resources:
- https://apnews.com/article/trump-immigration-detention-deportation-kristi-noem-a27916786c732c8f784a1d388a10e752
- https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/2025/07/23/trump-immigration-detention-deportation-kristi-noem/666df794-6813-11f0-ac4f-195fdb8ee9a8_story.html
- https://www.newsnationnow.com/us-news/ap-us-news/ap-us-government-is-building-a-5000-person-immigrant-detention-camp-in-west-texas/
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