The U.S. Army has quietly awarded a contract worth up to $1.2 billion to Acquisition Logistics LLC, a veteran- and Hispanic-owned small business, to build and operate what is projected to be the nation’s largest immigration-detention complex at Fort Bliss in West Texas. Initial Army funding of $232 million covers the first 1,000 beds, with eventual capacity expected to reach about 5,000 detainees. The July 18 award was limited to small firms, but contracting specialists say the choice is unusual: Acquisition Logistics lacks a functioning website, lists its headquarters at a suburban Virginia residence and had never managed a correctional facility or won a federal contract larger than $16 million. The Pentagon has declined to release the full contract or explain its selection, citing pending litigation. Competitor Gemini Tech Services has filed a protest at the Government Accountability Office, arguing the winning bidder lacks the experience, staffing and resources required. A GAO ruling is not expected before November, and a related appeal is pending in federal court. The Fort Bliss project underscores the Trump administration’s rapid expansion of immigration enforcement, including greater reliance on military bases to house detainees. Advocates and some lawmakers warn the remote desert location and secrecy clauses embedded in the solicitation could limit oversight and heighten risks to detainee welfare amid extreme heat.