ICE Oversight Report Finds 49 Detention‑Standard Violations at Camp East Montana as DHS Reviews Noem‑Era Warehouse Contracts
A congressionally mandated three‑day inspection in February 2026 by ICE’s Office of Detention Oversight found 49 violations of national detention standards at Camp East Montana — far more than any facility inspected this year — citing problems with use of force, security and medical care at a site averaging nearly 3,000 detainees per day (mostly men without criminal convictions) and tied to at least three deaths; the facility was initially run by inexperienced contractor Acquisition Logistics LLC and has since been transferred to Amentum Services under a nearly $453 million no‑bid contract. Separately, DHS has paused purchases of new immigrant‑detention warehouses and is reviewing all contracts signed under former Secretary Kristi Noem as part of an inherited $38.3 billion plan to create up to 92,000 beds, amid $1.074 billion in existing warehouse purchases across multiple states, pending lawsuits and local backlash over secrecy and community strain.
📌 Key Facts
- The Department of Homeland Security has paused purchases of new immigrant‑detention warehouses and is reviewing all warehouse contracts signed under former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem.
- DHS inherited a $38.3 billion plan to reach 92,000 detention beds through eight mega‑centers (7,000–10,000 beds each) and 16 regional processing hubs; 11 warehouses have already been purchased in Arizona, Georgia, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas and Utah at a combined cost of $1.074 billion.
- Lawsuits are pending in three states over the warehouse purchases, at least one planned facility (Surprise, Arizona) has had its planned capacity cut from 1,500 to 542 occupied beds, and many local officials say they learned of ICE’s plans only after purchases or leases were executed, prompting bipartisan backlash over secrecy and local infrastructure strain.
- ICE’s Office of Detention Oversight conducted a three‑day, congressionally mandated inspection of Camp East Montana in February 2026 and documented 49 deficiencies — violations of national detention standards and policies — far more than any other facility inspected this year (previous high: 13).
- The 49 deficiencies covered use of force and restraints, security, medical care and other areas that officials say potentially exposed detainees to excessive force, disease and unsafe conditions.
- Camp East Montana has been housing nearly 3,000 detainees per day (the majority men without criminal convictions) and has seen at least three deaths since opening, including a 36‑year‑old detainee in January; the detainee’s family attorney described the oversight report as "scathing."
- The facility was run by contractor Acquisition Logistics LLC — a company with no prior detention experience holding a contract worth up to $1.3 billion — at the time of the inspection; ICE has since replaced it with Amentum Services under a nearly $453 million no‑bid contract through Sept. 30, with ICE saying the new contract will improve medical care, staffing and oversight, while Rep. Veronica Escobar says the findings understate ongoing problems and alleges conditions may be intended to pressure detainees to self‑deport.
📊 Relevant Data
Black migrants constitute approximately 6% of the ICE detainee population but account for 28% of abuse-related complaints in detention facilities, indicating a disparity in experiences of mistreatment.
ICE Detention and Racial Disparities — Black Pre-Law Society, Columbia University
Noncriminal Latino immigrants have become a central target of ICE detention, with a sharp rise in their detention from February 2024 through September 2025.
New Analysis Reveals Sharp Rise in ICE Detention of Immigrants with No Criminal Convictions — UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs
The recent U.S. immigration surge is driven by factors including labor market shortages, immigration policies facilitating asylum seekers, and economic opportunities, with the majority of the increase attributed to asylum seekers rather than undocumented migration.
Decoding Recent Immigration to the US — Baker Institute
Deaths in ICE custody surged to 33 in 2025, up from 11 in 2024, with at least 14 deaths reported in 2026 so far, often linked to overcrowding and inadequate health care access.
14 ICE detainees have died so far in 2026 — NBC News
📰 Source Timeline (3)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- ICE’s Office of Detention Oversight conducted a three‑day, congressionally mandated inspection of Camp East Montana in February 2026 and documented 49 deficiencies — violations of national detention standards and policies.
- The deficiencies span use of force and restraints, security, medical care and other areas that potentially exposed detainees to excessive force, disease, and unsafe conditions; 49 is far higher than any other facility inspected by the office this year (previous high: 13).
- Camp East Montana has been housing nearly 3,000 detainees per day, the majority men without criminal convictions, and has seen at least three deaths since it opened, including a 36‑year‑old detainee in January whose family attorney calls the report "scathing."
- The inspection was conducted while inexperienced contractor Acquisition Logistics LLC — holding a contract worth up to $1.3 billion despite no prior detention experience — was running the facility; ICE has since replaced it with Amentum Services under a nearly $453 million no‑bid contract through Sept. 30.
- Rep. Veronica Escobar, who has toured the facility multiple times, says the findings are "a drop in the bucket" and alleges conditions have not improved, suggesting harsh conditions may be designed to pressure detainees to self‑deport, while ICE claims the new contract will improve medical care, staffing and oversight.
- Confirms DHS has paused purchases of new immigrant‑detention warehouses and is scrutinizing all warehouse contracts signed under former Secretary Kristi Noem.
- Details the inherited $38.3 billion plan to reach 92,000 detention beds through eight mega‑centers (7,000–10,000 beds each) and 16 regional processing hubs.
- Specifies that 11 warehouses have already been purchased in Arizona, Georgia, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas and Utah at a combined cost of $1.074 billion.
- Reports that lawsuits are pending in three of the warehouse states and that at least one facility, in Surprise, Arizona, has had its planned capacity cut from 1,500 to 542 occupied beds.
- Highlights that many local officials learned of ICE’s plans only after purchases or leases were executed, fueling bipartisan backlash over secrecy and local infrastructure strain.