ICE Awarded a $3.8 Billion Contract to Hold Immigrants on a Military Base. Days Later, It Was Canceled.

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The Trump administration recently made a surprising decision to cancel a $3.8 billion contract for an immigrant detention camp in Fort Bliss, Texas, shortly after it was issued. Despite the cancellation, sources say the administration still plans to proceed with building a tent detention camp at Fort Bliss, with a site visit already held for interested contractors.

The contract’s sudden posting and subsequent cancellation have left many questions unanswered. The contract was initially awarded to Deployed Resources on April 10, a company that has rapidly grown in the government contracting industry, attracting former government officials to its ranks.

Following the contract termination, ICE confirmed the decision and mentioned that a new procurement action for Fort Bliss is in progress. The cancellation of such a substantial contract in a short period is highly unusual, as per ProPublica’s analysis of past contracting data.

The government’s need for a facility to detain thousands of immigrants before deportation has spurred the rush for such contracts. While Deployed Resources may still be in the running for the revised contract, it faces competition from other interested bidders.

The administration’s push for immigration detention facilities worth billions of dollars coincides with cutbacks in federal programs and layoffs of government workers in other sectors.