New Texas ICE facility Fort Bliss expected to be the largest in the U.S.

Facility Overview - A new immigration detention facility in Texas, similar to the "Alligator Alcatraz" in Florida, is set to open, utilizing temporary structures like soft-sided tents [1] - The Fort Bliss facility aims to address capacity issues amid a nationwide push to detain undocumented immigrants [1] - The facility initially plans to house 1,000 immigrants and expand to 5,000 [5] Contract and Construction Issues - The project faced setbacks, including contract withdrawals and splitting into two contracts before awards [4] - A death occurred during construction, leading to a temporary pause [6] - The Government Accountability Office is investigating the bidding process for potential irregularities [6] - OSHA is investigating the death to determine if safety standards were compromised due to the expedited construction timeline [6] Location and Scale - The facility is located at Fort Bliss, which has over 1 million acres of military land [4] - The initial plan to house 30,000 immigrants at Guantanamo Bay was abandoned, leading to the Fort Bliss project [4]