Troubled Companies Awarded Billion-Dollar ICE Detention Center Contract

Public Citizen report exposes legal issues, regulatory violations, and deadly conditions at Camp East Montana facility

Apr. 13, 2026 at 5:53pm

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A photorealistic painting in the style of Edward Hopper, depicting a lone metal fence post casting a long shadow on a cracked concrete slab, conveying a sense of isolation and dehumanization.The Trump administration's expansion of for-profit immigrant detention centers has come at a tragic human cost, as evidenced by the dark history of contractors awarded these lucrative government contracts.El Paso Today

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has awarded a $1.3 billion contract to build and operate a massive new ICE detention center in Texas to two companies with troubled histories. One company, Acquisition Logistics LLC, was fired by DHS last month for never being registered to operate in Texas, while the new contractor, Amentum Services Inc., has a long record of health, safety, and other federal law violations.

Why it matters

The Trump administration is awarding large detention center contracts to companies with little experience as well as those with dubious records, raising concerns about how taxpayer funds are being spent and the treatment of detainees. The new facility's location on the site of a former Japanese-American internment camp during WWII has also drawn criticism from civil rights groups.

The details

The initial $1.3 billion contract to construct and operate the 5,000-person Camp East Montana facility in El Paso was awarded to Acquisition Logistics LLC, a company with no prior experience running a detention center. Since then, three detainees have died, one ruled a homicide, and a subcontractor employee also died at the site. After these issues, DHS replaced Acquisition Logistics with Amentum Services, Inc., which received a no-bid contract to manage the facility, despite Amentum's own history of 112 regulatory violations including fraud, discrimination, and health/safety problems.

  • In July 2025, the Trump administration first awarded the $1.3 billion contract to Acquisition Logistics LLC.
  • Two days after the contract was awarded, a subcontractor employee died at the site.
  • In the following six months, three detainees died, with one death ruled a homicide.
  • In March 2026, DHS replaced Acquisition Logistics with Amentum Services, Inc. on a no-bid contract.
  • On April 25, 2026, communities will protest the Trump administration's ICE detention policies nationwide.

The players

Acquisition Logistics LLC

A company with no prior experience constructing or operating a detention facility, which was initially awarded the $1.3 billion contract to build and run the Camp East Montana ICE detention center but was later fired by DHS.

Amentum Services Inc.

The company that received a no-bid contract to take over management of the Camp East Montana facility, despite having a history of 112 regulatory violations including fraud, employment discrimination, and health/safety problems.

Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

The federal agency that awarded the initial $1.3 billion contract to Acquisition Logistics LLC and later replaced them with Amentum Services Inc. on a no-bid contract.

Douglas Pasternak

The Public Citizen researcher who authored a report titled 'Billion Dollar Collapse: The Anatomy and Failure of an ICE Detention Center Contract' exposing the issues with the Camp East Montana facility.

Not Above the Law coalition

The coalition organizing the Communities Not Cages National Day of Action protest against the Trump administration's ICE detention policies on April 25, 2026.

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What they’re saying

“This is not just about corporate negligence and government mismanagement, it's about human lives, literally. Every American should be deeply concerned.”

— Douglas Pasternak, Public Citizen Researcher

What’s next

On Saturday, April 25th, communities across the country will come together for the Communities Not Cages National Day of Action — a coordinated, nationwide mobilization against the Trump administration's reckless expansion of ICE warehouse detention and its assault on the due process rights of immigrants and all Americans.

The takeaway

The Trump administration's awarding of billion-dollar ICE detention center contracts to companies with troubled histories and little experience has resulted in deadly conditions, regulatory violations, and growing public outrage over the treatment of immigrant detainees.