EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) — Construction on a massive tent complex is going on in Fort Bliss just north of the intersection of Montana Avenue and George Dieter Drive.
Sources tell Border Report this is the site of the 5,000-capacity migrant processing facility announced by the federal government earlier this month.
Border Report reached out to Fort Bliss, the Department of Defense, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and several other agencies for comment and is awaiting a response.
One of those agencies referred to the new facility as Camp Bliss.
“ICE is indeed pursuing all available options to expand bedspace capacity. This process does include housing detainees at certain military bases, including Fort Bliss,” ICE said in a statement in response to Border Report’s inquiries.
Earlier, sources told Border Report the camp could start holding a small number of migrants in a matter of weeks. The activity will begin ramping up as construction continues and smaller processing and detention facilities along the border and in the interior of the United States approach capacity.
The Transnational Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC) reported ICE detention capacity at 76 percent as of April 13. That was 48,056 detainees in 181 authorized facilities.
On Tuesday, cranes could be observed moving construction materials and trucks went back and forth a dirt road leading to the construction site. A security guard under a white tent kept watch on the comings and goings of vehicles.
In March, Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll said an “immigration facility” at Fort Bliss had been greenlighted.
The federal government recently announced it was moving forward with building what would be the largest immigration detention facility in the country at Fort Bliss.
A $231.8 million contract was awarded to establish and operate a deportation hub. The overall project would be $1.2 billion.
The project is expected to be completed by September 2027.
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