The Trump administration opened the largest Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in the country to continue its efforts to resolve the illegal immigration crisis.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) announced over the weekend that “Lone Star Lockup,” a detention center in Fort Bliss, Texas, is officially “open for business.”
“It is the largest ICE detention center in U.S. history,” Abbott wrote in a post on social media. “Everything is bigger in Texas.”
‘Under President Trump’s leadership, we are working at turbo speed on cost-effective and innovative ways to deliver on the American people’s mandate for mass deportations of criminal illegal aliens.’
Rep. Beth Van Duyne (R-Texas) responded to Abbott’s post, writing, “When we asked folks earlier this month what this massive new detention center should be named, the Lone Star Lockup and Texas Hold’em were the top two names suggested! And now we know, the Lone Star Lockup is operational!”
The Lone Star Lockup is a 1,000-bed facility, though federal officials plan to expand the center to 5,000 beds by 2027. The center includes medical treatment areas, legal access areas, and recreational space.
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It is expected to hold foreign nationals who are currently in removal proceedings or have final removal orders.
ICE hopes the new facility will “streamline and expedite removal processes, which is one of the Trump administration’s priorities.”
Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) stated that the new facility will ease overcrowding at other locations and serve as a processing center.
“Fort Bliss is an amazing military facility,” Gonzales said. “Everything thrown their way, they’ve handled. We should be supporting this, not attacking it.”
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Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement to Time, “Under President Trump’s leadership, we are working at turbo speed on cost-effective and innovative ways to deliver on the American people’s mandate for mass deportations of criminal illegal aliens.”
“ICE is indeed pursuing all available options to expand bedspace capacity. This process does include partnering with states and local government and housing detainees at certain military bases, including Fort Bliss,” she added.
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