The largest ICE detention center in the country lost track of a loaded firearm, did not provide treatment to detainees with chronic health conditions, and failed to test immigrants for tuberculosis, according to a report from the Government Accountability Office published Tuesday.

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The investigation from the congressional watchdog found “serious performance and oversight challenges” at Camp East Montana at Fort Bliss, which is outside El Paso, Texas.

In one case, evidence associated with the death of a detainee was missing or destroyed, according to the report. That death was announced as a “presumed suicide” at the time, but later the local coroner determined it was a homicide. It is now under investigation by the FBI and the inspector general.

The tented facility has had a troubled history since it opened on the Army base less than a year ago in August, starting with a fatal construction accident and three detainee deaths in less than six weeks, including the death ruled a homicide. There have also been outbreaks of both tuberculosis and measles.

The GAO said that after ICE took over contract administration responsibilities at Camp East Montana from the Army in October, it continued to not meet contractual requirements. ICE itself issued eight discrepancy reports and one oversight report for Camp East Montana that identified “serious problems” at the facility, according to the GAO. Discrepancy reports formally document performance issues by facility operators, which are then required to propose and take corrective actions.

One of the discrepancy reports stated that in January 2026, a contracted security guard “lost their loaded firearm at the facility” and that according to an ICE official, “despite several searches of the facility, as of March 2026 the firearm had not been recovered,” the GAO said.

The investigation said that, according to ICE officials, as of March the agency was still waiting for the contractor to respond to some of the reports. The report does not name any contractors.

Another discrepancy report issued by ICE found that a contractor had not administered required tests for tuberculosis and instead relied on symptom questionnaires, leading to a noncitizen with tuberculosis being housed with the general population in November, the GAO report said.

In December, ICE Health Services Corps found that the contractor did not follow up with comprehensive health assessments and, as a result, “detained noncitizens with chronic conditions did not receive treatment and care in accordance with National Detention Standards,” the GAO said.

“For example, none of the detained noncitizens with diabetes or HIV had treatment plans in place,” the investigation said.

An ICE discrepancy report from February regarding the death of the detainee that was determined by the local coroner to be a homicide found that the contractor did not provide use of force and death reports to ICE, as required, the GAO said.

“In addition, evidence associated with the incident was missing or destroyed,” the investigation said.

In mid-March, ICE terminated the contractor it had running the facility, Acquisition Logistics, LLC. The company had no previous experience running an immigration detention center, and its 77-year-old CEO appeared to run the business out of his private home.

Acquisition Logistics did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report.

“Both the Army and DHS made decisions that contributed to the serious challenges at Camp East Montana,” the report states. “As a result, we continue to believe that both agencies should assess the acquisition and identify lessons learned to inform future acquisitions in support of ICE’s detention efforts.”

A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said in a statement that ICE contracted with a new provider “following the termination of the old contract inherited from the Department of War.”

“ICE is always looking at ways to improve our detention facilities to ensure we are providing the best care to illegal aliens in our custody,” the spokesperson said.

“This new contractor will allow Camp East Montana to continue abiding by the highest detention standards WITH the ability to provide MORE medical care on-site,” the statement said. “ICE will have even more oversight of the contractors at this facility. Far from closing, Camp East Montana is upgrading.”

Late last month, the American Civil Liberties Union and other legal organizations filed a lawsuit against ICE over allegations of inhumane conditions at the facility, including “severe medical neglect, diseases outbreaks, dangerous and unsanitary conditions, use of force by officers among other issues.”

DHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the lawsuit.

“These findings confirm some of what I have been sounding the alarm about since it first opened ten months ago, but incredulously, doesn’t come close to identifying everything I’ve discovered and shared with the public during my oversight visits,” Texas Rep. Veronica Escobar, a Democrat, said.

“Camp East Montana needs to be shut down, the contractor investigated, the crime of destruction of evidence referred to law enforcement, and Republicans should work with us to redirect these funds to meet the needs of hardworking Americans.”