US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has extended its lease on Camp East Montana, a large migrant detention centre in El Paso, Texas, despite calls for the facility to be closed over allegations of human rights abuses.
Under the new agreement, ICE will continue using the facility for at least another year, until September 30, 2027. The extension could cost taxpayers around $776 million, in addition to the $452 million already allocated in March.
Since Camp East Montana opened in August 2025, three detainees have died at the facility. The deaths have triggered criticism from politicians and human rights organisations, which have called for the centre to be shut down.
Reports by Human Rights Watch and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) have raised concerns about conditions at the facility, including alleged mistreatment of detainees, inadequate medical care, overcrowding and poor sanitation. Some members of Congress have also urged the government to stop using the centre.
ICE has defended the decision to extend the lease, arguing that moving detainees or changing the company operating the facility could create logistical and security problems. The agency also cited a shortage of detention space and the specialised infrastructure already built at the centre.
The decision has renewed debate over how the US government treats detained migrants, particularly regarding living conditions, access to medical care and the protection of human rights in immigration detention facilities.