Congresswoman Escobar Statement on Additional ICE Detention Facilities in El Paso

Today, Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16) released the following statement in response to the latest news from ICE confirming additional detention facilities in El Paso County:

"A private corporation received nearly $30 million through a no-bid federal contract to help design more detention space, including another facility in El Paso. Donald Trump and Republicans have been using American taxpayer funds to enrich these private corporations that are responsible for Trump's mass deportation efforts, including the corporation operating Camp East Montana that limits adequate oversight, has become increasingly fatal, and does not meet minimum standards for detaining human beings.

"The existing facilities need to be shut down - not proliferated.

"The $170 billion in funding for these corporate-run tent cities comes from the 'One Big Beautiful Bill.' This Republican law cut healthcare and nutrition programs for hard-working Americans in order to give the wealthiest Americans massive tax breaks and fund these tent cities and the gestapo-like tactics we are seeing across the country that target U.S. citizens and legal residents."