The Trump administration is set to open the country's largest immigrant detention facility in Texas later this week, reports NBC News.
The facility, located at Fort Bliss, will initially hold up to 1,000 people and comes as detention centers across the country are filling up. Officials plan to expand the total capacity to 5,000 over the next two years.
"It's safe to say all ICE field offices are looking for more ICE detention space," an official with Immigration and Customs Enforcement told NBC News.
The administration has hit hurdles in building the facility, including two canceled contracts, probes into possible improper bidding, and a death on the construction site.
The top contractor overseeing the project has also come under scrutiny.
Acquisition Logistics, one of 13 companies to submit bids for the project online, won the $1.26 billion contract to build the detention center. The company's largest contract prior to this one was worth $16 million.
One of the companies that didn't win, Gemini Tech Services, filed a complaint in federal court.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.