A migrant detention facility of unprecedented scale is set to open Sunday in El Paso, Texas, according to federal officials.
The facility, located at Fort Bliss, has an initial capacity to hold 1,000 migrants but is designed for expansion to accommodate nearly 5,000 people, WCVB reported.
The Trump administration said the project will represent “the largest federal detention center in history” once complete.
The opening comes as President Donald Trump continues his efforts to locate and detain illegal aliens nationwide.
In a statement, Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Tricia McLaughlin, said new funding has made the project possible.
“The One Big Beautiful Bill has provided historic funding to help us carry out this mandate, especially by securing enough detention capacity to maintain an average daily population of 100,000 illegal aliens and 80,000 new ICE beds.”
Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) visited the facility prior to its official opening and described it as the “Lone Star Lock Up,” according to KFOX.
Cornyn emphasized that the migrants being detained had already failed to comply with legal proceedings.
“It’s important for people to understand — we are not talking gardeners or housekeepers. These are people who didn’t show up to court-ordered hearings. There is no due process concern. They have no legal right to be here.”
Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) had announced construction of the facility on July 26, underscoring the state’s support for federal enforcement efforts.
“We will help arrest, jail, & deport illegal immigrants,” Abbott stated at the time.
Video footage released ahead of the opening shows the large-scale detention center, which officials say will play a central role in expanding federal immigration enforcement.
Recent polling indicates that the administration’s actions have significant public backing.
A Marquette survey from July showed a majority of Americans favor deporting migrants who are in the country illegally, according to Breitbart News.
“Trump long ran on securing the southern border and deporting illegal aliens, and as he has continued to make good on that promise, he continues to have the public’s backing,” the outlet reported.
Administration officials have repeatedly emphasized that the focus of federal deportation efforts remains on individuals with criminal records or pending charges.
“The Trump administration has long maintained that the vast majority of deportees are criminal illegal immigrants who either have convictions or pending charges,” Breitbart noted.
The new facility’s opening comes amid record numbers of migrant detentions.
On August 12, Breitbart News reported that federal authorities were holding more than 60,000 illegal migrants in detention centers nationwide.
With the El Paso site and other new facilities under construction, that figure is expected to rise.
The El Paso center represents one of several large-scale projects tied to the administration’s broader immigration enforcement strategy.
Federal officials have said the goal is to ensure that those in the United States without legal status, particularly those who fail to comply with court proceedings, face detention and eventual removal.
