# Federal audit finds millions wasted at largest immigration detention center  
**Published:** 2026-06-09T20:33:41.000Z  
**Source:** [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/06/09/repub/gao-finds-millions-of-dollars-wasted-safety-and-security-at-risk-in-texas-detention-center/)  
**AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001)  
**Canonical:** https://lincolne.news/article/federal-audit-finds-millions-wasted-at-largest-immigration-detention-center

A hastily constructed immigration detention facility on a military base in Texas wasted millions in federal funding and failed to meet basic detention standards, according to [a report released Tuesday by the Government Accountability Office](https://files.gao.gov/reports/GAO-26-108886/index.html). The findings from Camp East Montana represent one of the first independent investigations into facilities funded by the Trump administration's massive detention expansion.

[According to the Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/06/09/repub/gao-finds-millions-of-dollars-wasted-safety-and-security-at-risk-in-texas-detention-center/), the Department of Defense and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement opened Camp East Montana at Fort Bliss in El Paso in August 2025, intending the soft-sided detention site to hold as many as 5,000 immigrants. The facility is considered the largest immigration detention center in the United States.

The GAO report found the Army paid the full cost for guards, medical services, transportation and meals from Aug. 1 through Aug. 15, 2025, when there were no detainees at the facility, wasting approximately $11.5 million. Additionally, the Army paid about $423,000 for meals it did not need when the facility was operating below capacity from August 16 through September 30, 2025.

The facility's problems extended beyond financial waste. Investigators found the camp was plagued with tuberculosis cases, failed to meet key detention standards, and documented at least four detainee deaths, including one ruled a homicide by the local coroner. The facility also lacked proper medical care, with none of the detainees diagnosed with HIV or diabetes having treatment plans in place, according to the report.

In a particularly serious incident, the contractor failed to provide use of force and death reports to ICE as required, and evidence associated with one death investigation was "missing or destroyed." In January, a security guard lost a loaded firearm inside the facility that was never recovered.

The $1.3 billion contract used to build Camp East Montana provided no flexibility, resulting in the government paying for services even when detainees were absent. Investigators also noted the same mistakes could repeat as the Department of Homeland Security moves to spend $38 billion converting warehouses for immigrant detention using the same contracting vehicle.

"The facility also did not meet key detention standards, risking the safety and security of detained noncitizens and staff," the GAO said. The report made four recommendations, including tiered pricing for food and ensuring new facilities meet detention standards before housing immigrants. Both DHS and DOD agreed with the recommendations.

The findings come as Congress prepares to pass additional immigration enforcement funding. The report was requested by Democratic lawmakers, including Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, who called the GAO findings "damning." The detention facility comes as part of the Trump administration's broader expansion of immigration enforcement, which has included [converting a state prison in Nebraska into a federal detention center](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/nebraska-converts-prison-into-federal-immigration-center-aims-to-fill-it-by-thanksgiving).

## Sources

- [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/06/09/repub/gao-finds-millions-of-dollars-wasted-safety-and-security-at-risk-in-texas-detention-center/)
- [GAO report on Camp East Montana](https://files.gao.gov/reports/GAO-26-108886/index.html)
- [PBS News: Nebraska converts prison into federal immigration detention center](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/nebraska-converts-prison-into-federal-immigration-center-aims-to-fill-it-by-thanksgiving)

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This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from Nebraska Examiner, enriched with 2 web searches. The original source is available at https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/06/09/repub/gao-finds-millions-of-dollars-wasted-safety-and-security-at-risk-in-texas-detention-center/.