Photo of Larry Farr on Unsplash.
The United States government opened an immigration detention center in Texas that has sparked controversy due to its magnitude and its similarities to the controversial Florida complex known as “Alligator Alcatraz”.
Located on the Fort Bliss military base in El Paso, the new center will have capacity for up to 5,000 people, mostly single men, and was built with temporary tent-like structures, officially known as "soft walls." The project represents a $1.26 billion investment, of which $232 million was contributed by the U.S. Army.
Acquisition Logistics Company was awarded the prime contract under a federal small business award program. According to official sources, the goal is to "efficiently respond to the growing flow of migrants at the southern border."
Criticisms for human rights
Civil organizations and migrant advocates warned about the humanitarian risks these facilities pose, due to the lack of privacy, the extreme desert climate, and the potential lack of adequate medical services. They point out that the model replicates the same problems as the Everglades detention center in Florida, dubbed Alligator Alcatraz, which has been the subject of multiple lawsuits and legal sanctions.
"We're talking about thousands of people confined in tents, without dignified conditions, and with a history we're already familiar with from Florida," said a spokesperson for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
The new center in Texas becomes the largest of its kind in the country, consolidating a trend toward mass detention as the cornerstone of immigration policy. Critics warn that the measure not only compromises human rights, but also increases diplomatic pressure on countries of origin, including Mexico, where the Foreign Ministry has expressed concern about the situation of dozens of compatriots detained in Alligator Alcatraz.
Despite criticism, immigration authorities insist that the facilities meet ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) standards and will help "maintain order and security at the border."
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