ICE blocked a congresswoman from speaking with detainees at the country's largest detention camp

Representative Veronica Escobar went to Camp East Montana last month to inspect conditions after two disturbances in one week at the ICE tent facility inside Fort Bliss. She said she was not allowed to speak with any of the detained immigrants, and she has not received the surveillance footage she requested.

"The administration obviously has attempted to block congressional oversight," Escobar told the Guardian. She said oversight under the second Trump administration has been harder than during the first.

Members of Congress have the legal power to visit ICE detention facilities without prior notice and speak with detained immigrants. Escobar and other lawmakers sued the Trump administration last year for blocking access. A federal judge ruled in their favor in December, but lawmakers report that ICE has continued placing limits on visits — including requiring them to submit names and personal information of detainees they want to meet beforehand.

DHS disputed Escobar's account. A spokesperson said any member of Congress can still request to speak with anyone in ICE custody and that ICE will facilitate the meeting. The department called many oversight visits "a media act" and denied receiving an official request for data and footage.

Camp East Montana was built last summer as a soft-sided tent camp with capacity for 5,000 people, making it the largest ICE detention center in the country. DHS reported two disturbances there in early September. On September 1, it alleged detained immigrants struck, kicked, and threw tablets at security staff. On September 7, a group of about 130 threw items, flipped furniture, and disabled security cameras, according to DHS. Escobar said detainees also knocked down partitions between living quarters.

Escobar said an ICE official blamed the detainees' nationality for the incidents, telling her "the Venezuelans are a difficult population." What exactly happened remains unclear. The El Paso Times reported that an ICE official at the facility called 911 during the September 7 incident — which Escobar said contradicted what ICE told her during her visit.

The facility has a documented record of failure. At least three people detained there have died in custody, including a 55-year-old man whose January death was ruled a homicide after security guards beat him. An internal ICE inspection found deficiencies including guards' use of force. A Government Accountability Office report found problems with the facility's contract, construction, and conditions, and made four recommendations to DHS, ICE, and the Army. Those recommendations remain open and unresolved.

Escobar said the private contractor running the facility should bear the cost of the damage, not taxpayers. ICE gave the contract to Amentum Services, a Maryland-based company, in April. Amentum, which had worked as a subcontractor at the site, did not respond to a request for comment. The original $1.3 billion contract went to Acquisition Logistics, a small Virginia-based firm. Escobar said the facility should have been shut down long ago. DHS said it is "upgrading."