1. United States
2. Texas
3. Letter

The recent Government Accountability Office report on the Camp East Montana immigration detention center in Texas raises serious concerns about the use of taxpayer funds and the treatment of detainees. According to the report, the facility failed to properly document use-of-force incidents, did not provide necessary medications to seriously ill detainees, and wasted tens of millions of taxpayer dollars through rushed and poorly managed contracts. These findings suggest significant failures in planning, oversight, accountability, and fiscal responsibility. At a time when the federal government faces mounting budget pressures, taxpayers should not be funding detention facilities that operate with such serious deficiencies while generating profits for private contractors. I urge Congress to investigate these findings thoroughly, hold responsible officials and contractors accountable, and reevaluate the continued use of privately operated immigration detention facilities. Facilities that cannot meet basic standards of medical care, transparency, and stewardship of public funds should be closed. Resources currently directed toward wasteful detention contracts could be better invested in effective, lawful, and humane immigration management practices that respect both taxpayer dollars and human dignity. The American people deserve an immigration system that is accountable, fiscally responsible, and consistent with our nation's values. I ask that you support efforts to end funding for detention facilities that fail to meet these standards and work toward more effective alternatives.