The Department of Homeland Security has opened the East Montana Detention Center at Fort Bliss, Texas, a 5,000-bed complex that officials describe as the largest immigration detention facility in U.S. history. Nicknamed “Lone Star Lockup,” the center began receiving detainees on 18 August and is intended to serve as a hub for migrants held in the Southwest as the Trump administration accelerates large-scale deportations. A day after the Texas opening, DHS announced a separate agreement with Nebraska to convert the state’s Work Ethic Camp in McCook into an immigration detention site. Dubbed the “Cornhusker Clink,” the facility will provide about 280 beds—with plans to grow to roughly 300—for people awaiting deportation proceedings. Governor Jim Pillen said the state will supply National Guard and State Patrol support under a new 287(g) partnership, while Secretary Kristi Noem called the move part of a broader effort to “remove the worst of the worst.” The two projects deepen an expansion drive funded by the administration’s “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which allocates money for 80,000 new ICE beds nationwide. ICE held more than 56,000 migrants in June, the highest level since 2019, and is rolling out additional sites such as Florida’s 3,000-bed “Alligator Alcatraz” and Indiana’s planned “Speedway Slammer.” Immigration advocates have protested the rapid growth, citing transparency and due-process concerns, but federal and allied state officials say the extra capacity is necessary to keep pace with stepped-up enforcement.