GAO Finds 'Missing or Destroyed' Evidence in Texas Detention Centre Deaths, Medical Failures Exposed

A federal watchdog has uncovered missing evidence, ignored medical needs and glaring oversight failures at a Texas immigration detention centre built during Donald Trump's renewed mass deportation drive.

The findings cut through official rhetoric about border enforcement and expose what investigators described as deep operational failings inside a rapidly assembled facility holding thousands of migrants.

Harsh Realities At Detention Site

The report from the US Government Accountability Office shows a harsh reality at Camp East Montana, a detention site opened in August 2025 on the Fort Bliss military base in El Paso. What emerges is not simply bureaucratic disorder, but a detention operation struggling to meet basic standards of care, accountability and safety.

Investigators found that officials at the facility failed to properly document the use of force, neglected treatment for detainees with serious chronic illnesses and mishandled evidence connected to a homicide case.

Tens of millions of taxpayer dollars were also spent through rushed contracting arrangements that bypassed ordinary scrutiny.

Trump's administration has aggressively expanded detention capacity as part of its immigration crackdown, with the detained population reportedly rising from roughly 40,000 people when Trump returned to office in 2025 to around 57,000 by early June this year, according to two sources familiar with the matter who spoke to Reuters.

A Fast-Tracked Facility Under Pressure

Camp East Montana was established through an expedited military contracting process designed to accelerate construction and operations.

ICE awarded the contract to Acquisition Logistics LLC, a small company with no previous detention experience. The arrangement allowed the facility to open quickly, but the watchdog report suggests oversight failed to keep pace with expansion.

The GAO described 'significant, pervasive issues' involving both planning and management at the camp and how many failures touched directly on detainee welfare.

During a December 2025 inspection, ICE medical officials found detainees with chronic illnesses were not receiving proper care. According to the report, individuals with diabetes and HIV had no treatment plans in place.

For detainees reliant on consistent medication and monitoring, the absence of treatment planning raises serious questions about how medical services were functioning inside the facility.

The contract overseeing Camp East Montana was abruptly transferred to Amentum Services Inc in March 2026. The report stops short of directly linking the change to the failures uncovered by investigators.

Deaths Inside the Facility Raise Further Questions

The watchdog investigation devoted particular attention to two deaths that occurred at the detention centre in January 2026. One was ruled a homicide while the other was classified as suicide.

In the homicide case, the report states the detention centre failed to provide ICE with required use-of-force and death reports. Investigators also found evidence connected to the case had been 'missing or destroyed'.

Missing evidence inside an immigration detention centre inevitably intensifies scrutiny over transparency and accountability, especially in a politically charged enforcement environment already facing legal and human rights criticism.

The second death exposed another series of failures.

According to the report, staff placed a detainee considered at suicide risk in a medical holding room rather than a suicide-resistant cell. The individual was then left unattended for longer than the required 15-minute monitoring interval.

The findings point less to isolated mistakes than to systemic breakdowns inside a detention operation expanded at speed and under pressure.

Political Pressure and Operational Reality

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) defended ongoing operations at the facility while acknowledging changes had been made.

An agency spokesperson said ICE was 'always looking at ways to improve detention facilities' and pointed to the replacement of the contractor as evidence corrective action was underway.

'Far from closing, Camp East Montana is upgrading,' the spokesperson said.

Acquisition Logistics did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The report lands at a politically sensitive moment for the Trump administration, which has made immigration enforcement a defining priority of its second term. Expanding detention capacity has been central to that strategy, but the findings from Camp East Montana reveal the strain such rapid growth can place on oversight systems that were already under criticism before the latest expansion.

The GAO findings suggest those longstanding weaknesses may now be worsening under accelerated enforcement demands.