Camp East Montana, the newest and largest migrant detention center in the U.S., officially opened on Sunday at Fort Bliss in Texas. The facility can currently accommodate 1,000 migrants, with plans to expand its capacity to 5,000 in the future.

The opening was met with protests from immigration advocates. Marisa Limon Garza, executive director of the Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, expressed concerns about the treatment of detainees. "We are demanding that this administration do what they say they're going to do if they're not going to close the camps. At a minimum, we need access to people who have due process and should have access to attorneys," she said.

The criticism of the new facility coincided with a federal court hearing on Monday. Lawyers representing detainees at a Florida facility, referred to as "Alligator Alcatraz," argued that their clients lack proper access to legal representation and are being held without formal charges.

Democratic Rep. Veronica Escobar toured the Texas detention center on Monday. She questioned the financial implications of the facility, stating, "I want you to think about how much good that money could do in El Paso if it were spent on the community, if it were spent on access to child care for El Paso kids, if it were spent on universal pre-K for El Paso kids, if it were spent on health care for El Pasoans."

Escobar criticized the funding for the detention center, saying, "There is a tremendous amount of good that that money could do for El Pasoans, but it is instead being used to fund mass deportation by the Trump administration."

In contrast, Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas defended the facility. He stated, "It's important for people to understand we are not talking gardeners or housekeepers. These are people who didn't show up to court-ordered hearings. There is no due process concern. They have no legal right to be here."

Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin commented on the facility's purpose. "Under President Trump's leadership, we are working at turbo speed on cost-effective and innovative ways to deliver on the American people's mandate for mass deportations of criminal illegal aliens," she said. McLaughlin noted that the funding from the One Big Beautiful Bill has been crucial in securing detention capacity for an average daily population of 100,000 illegal aliens and 80,000 new ICE beds.

McLaughlin also highlighted the amenities at the Fort Bliss facility, stating, "The Fort Bliss Facility will offer everything a traditional ICE detention facility offers, including access to legal representation and a law library, access to visitation, recreational space, medical treatment space, and nutritionally balanced meals. It also provides necessary accommodations for disabilities, diet, and religious beliefs."