New Deportation Facility Shifting U.S.-Mexico Dynamics

Trump administration moves forward with plans to build a massive 10,000-person deportation facility at Fort Bliss in El Paso, marking the first step in fulfilling campaign promises for mass deportations.

Key Takeaways

Construction preparations for a 10,000-capacity migrant deportation facility at Fort Bliss in El Paso are imminent, according to U.S. Army Secretary Daniel P. Driscoll.
The site will be located near an existing ICE facility off Montana Avenue and George Dieter Drive in El Paso, Texas.
The facility represents a cornerstone of Trump’s immigration enforcement strategy, with additional centers planned for Utah and New York.
ICE deportations have already increased significantly, with 28,319 migrants deported in the first seven weeks of Trump’s administration, averaging 555 per day.
ICE currently holds nearly 48,000 immigrants in custody, exceeding its funded capacity as enforcement actions ramp up.

Fort Bliss Selected as First Major Deportation Center

The Trump administration has selected Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas as the location for what will become America’s largest deportation facility. U.S. Secretary of the Army Daniel P. Driscoll recently announced that preparations for the site’s construction are imminent, pending final approval from the Office of the Secretary of Defense. The facility, which will be situated off Montana Avenue and George Dieter Drive near an existing ICE facility, is designed to house up to 10,000 migrants awaiting deportation.

The Department of Homeland Security will operate the facility in coordination with U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. This development represents the most concrete step yet toward implementing President Trump’s campaign promise to conduct large-scale deportations of individuals residing in the country illegally. Fort Bliss already has experience housing migrants, having previously served as temporary accommodation for unaccompanied migrant children and Afghan refugees.

By Jack Healy and Tim Arango
Reporting from Aurora, Colo.

March 25, 2025

The crumbling apartments in Aurora, Colo., that President Trump seized on to insist the city had been overrun by Venezuelan street gangs are now boarded up and nearly empty. But in one building, the…

— Paul A. Langan (@paul_durhamlang) March 26, 2025

Expanding Detention Capacity Amid Increased Enforcement

The Fort Bliss facility’s construction comes as ICE detention facilities are already operating beyond capacity. According to recent data, as of March 23, ICE had nearly 48,000 immigrants in custody, exceeding its funded capacity. The new facility is expected to begin operations with approximately 1,000 detainees, with plans to expand to its full 10,000-person capacity as operations scale up. The administration has indicated that this is just the first of several planned detention centers, with additional facilities slated for construction in Utah and New York.

“The process of preparing it and getting it ready to be built out will start to occur any day. This is such an incredibly important mission. We believe to keep the American people safe,” said U.S. Secretary of the Army Daniel P. Driscoll.

The administration’s enforcement efforts are already showing significant results. In the first seven weeks after President Trump took office, 28,319 migrants were deported, averaging 555 individuals per day. Perhaps most notably, the number of non-criminal immigrants detained by ICE has increased by 500% from mid-January to late March, signaling a shift from the previous administration’s enforcement priorities that had focused primarily on those with criminal records.

Implementation of Campaign Promises

The Fort Bliss facility represents a tangible implementation of President Trump’s campaign promise to reverse Biden-era immigration policies. The facility’s specific use has not been officially confirmed, leaving questions about whether it will primarily house family units, single males, women, or unaccompanied minors. Deputy Committee General Paul Krattiger has been designated as the “Site Monitor” for the project, though details about construction timelines and operational protocols remain limited at this stage.

The news of the facility’s impending construction was initially reported by the New York Times in February, and has since been confirmed by multiple sources including the El Paso Times. The selection of Fort Bliss for this facility highlights the border region’s continued centrality in the implementation of the administration’s immigration policies. As construction begins, local officials and immigration advocates are closely monitoring developments to understand how the facility will operate and what conditions will be maintained for those detained there.