A measles outbreak has hit Camp East Montana in El Paso, Texas, the nation’s largest ICE detention facility, with at least 14 confirmed cases, as reported by NBC News. This is a highly contagious disease, and it’s definitely alarming to see it spreading in a place holding so many people.
An agency spokesperson confirmed that individuals who tested positive have been “cohorted and separated from the rest of the detained population to prevent further spread.” They also mentioned that ICE is keeping a close eye on the situation, working with public health authorities to get the right medical care and containment measures in place. The spokesperson emphasized that the health and safety of detainees, staff, and the community are a top priority.
Rep. Veronica Escobar, a Democrat whose district includes the facility, stated that Camp East Montana is now closed to visitors and attorneys because of the outbreak. Beyond the 14 people who got sick, another 112 individuals have been isolated due to their connection to the outbreak.
This isn’t the first time Camp East Montana has faced serious issues
Rep. Escobar said there has been “nothing but crisis after crisis inside the walls of this tent city” since it opened last year. This facility, which is a soft-sided tent-style structure that ICE increasingly prefers over traditional buildings, holds an average of 2,954 detainees. That makes it the largest number of ICE detainees for fiscal year 2026 so far.
The facility has also seen tragic deaths. Since its opening, three detainees have died while in ICE custody. Victor Manuel Diaz, 36, from Nicaragua, died of a presumed suicide on January 14. Francisco Gaspar-Andres, 48, from Guatemala, passed away due to health complications from cirrhosis and cardiac hypertrophy.
Even more disturbingly, Geraldo Lunas Campos, 55, from Cuba, died on January 3, and his death was ruled a homicide. ICE claims it provides comprehensive medical care, including dental and mental health services, along with access to medical appointments and 24-hour emergency care, but these deaths certainly raise questions.
Amidst these concerns, Rep. Escobar called for Camp East Montana to be shut down completely and for an investigation into the facility’s contractor. The company behind the construction and operation of Camp East Montana is Acquisition Logistics LLC, a Virginia contractor that scored a massive $1.2 billion contract last summer. What’s wild is that this company had never operated an ICE facility before getting this huge deal. As per public records, their largest contract before this was worth just $16 million.
Acquisition Logistics LLC is run by Kenneth Wagner out of his single-family home in Virginia. If you try to check out their website, you won’t find much. It currently just shows an address and a header that says, “Site maintenance in progress.” Plus, Wagner himself couldn’t be reached at the phone number listed for his business when called recently.
Published: Mar 5, 2026 12:00 pm