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Measles Outbreak Shuts Down Fort Bliss Detention Camp to Visitors
FORT BLISS, TX – A significant measles outbreak has led to the closure of a large immigration detention camp at Fort Bliss Army base to all visitors and attorneys, according to U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar.
Currently, 14 active measles cases have been confirmed at the facility, known as Camp East Montana, with an additional 112 individuals placed in isolation. The camp, which falls within El Paso Democrat Veronica Escobar’s district, will remain closed to non-essential personnel until at least March 19 or 20.
“While it’s positive that the measles outbreak is being treated with the seriousness it deserves, I am deeply concerned that a preventable crisis has resulted in conditions where detainees can only consult with their legal representatives virtually,” stated Representative Escobar.
Requests for comment from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have not yet been answered.
The Camp East Montana facility, established last year, operates under a contract awarded by the Trump administration to Acquisition Logistics LLC, a Virginia-based contractor without prior experience in managing ICE facilities. Detainees at the camp have frequently reported overcrowded, noisy, and unsanitary living conditions, where illnesses are rampant and adequate sleep is a rarity.
Measles, a highly preventable disease that was declared eradicated in the U.S. in 2000, experienced a resurgence in Texas last year. This was partly attributed to a lack of funding for public health departments to maintain robust vaccination programs, with West Texas being particularly affected.