06/09/2026
The Government Accountability Office released a report today about the "waste and performance issues" at the $1.3 billion tent city known as Camp East Montana.
Here's what the report found and why you should care. If you'd like to read the report, it's linked in the comments of this post.
The findings include:
A loaded gun taken onto a military installation by a private contractor who lost this weapon. Evidence in a homicide investigation that was destroyed. Tens of millions of taxpayer dollars paid in this no-bid contract that funded services not rendered.
These findings confirm some of what I have been sounding the alarm about since it first opened ten months ago, but incredulously, doesn’t come close to identifying everything I’ve discovered and shared with the public during my oversight visits.
The ongoing waste, fraud and abuse at Camp East Montana is made possible by Republicans’ so-called ‘One Big Beautiful Bill,’ which cut healthcare and nutrition programs, gave millionaires big tax breaks and provided historic tax dollars to the Department at Homeland Security.
At a time when El Pasoans are struggling with rising inflation, increasing gasoline, grocery and utility bills, Republicans will today vote to give ICE and CBP an additional $70 billion and are continuing with these corrupt no-bid contracts.
Camp East Montana needs to be shut down, the contractor investigated, the crime of destruction of evidence referred to law enforcement, and Republicans should work with us to redirect these funds to meet the needs of hardworking Americans.
More information on the findings:
The contractor had been using tuberculosis symptom questionnaires—rather than administering the required skin tests—for detainees at intake. As a result, in November 2025, a detainee with tuberculosis was housed with the general population. (Page 17)
A detainee died and the coroner’s autopsy found the death to be a homicide due to asphyxia. However, the contractor did not provide use of force and death reports to ICE, as required. In addition, evidence associated with the incident was missing or destroyed. (Page 18)
Contractors conducted health screenings at intake, but did not follow up with comprehensive health assessments for detainees. As a result, detainees with chronic conditions did not receive treatment and care in accordance with National Detention Standards. (Page 17)
