00:00The US just opened its largest immigration detention center ever, a place called the
00:06Lone Star Lockup, right in the Texas desert at Fort Bliss Army Base.
00:11Detainees started to arrive on Sunday, that is 17th of August, 2025.
00:16This mega site kicked off under President Trump's administration and can hold up to
00:215,000 people awaiting deportation.
00:24It is the centerpiece of Trump's tough stance on immigration and it is also stirring up
00:29debates nationwide.
00:31So what exactly is happening at Fort Bliss?
00:34Adults from all over the country arrested and facing deportation are now being sent to live
00:40in rows of tents near the Mexican border.
00:43Some will stay for as long as six months before a final decision or a flight out of the country.
00:49But controversy started before the first detainee even arrived.
00:54The government handed a $1.2 billion contract to a private company with zero experience running
01:01detention centers.
01:03Critics instantly questioned if that was safe.
01:06That concern turned into tragedy when, during construction, a worker died on site, a dark
01:12mark on the project's beginnings.
01:15Locals say that the camp's location has always been problematic, citing flooding concerns and
01:21poor emergency access.
01:23And there is a history here as well.
01:26Former US President Joe Biden and Trump's predecessor actually used Fort Bliss too, but for a different
01:33reason.
01:34He briefly housed migrant children who crossed the border alone, sparking a national debate
01:39on whether it's okay for kids to stay in giant, impersonal facilities.
01:44Fort Bliss itself isn't new to controversy.
01:47People were held here during Japanese internment in World War II.
01:53Today, Lone Star Lockups has 1,000 beds, but expansion plans could make it five times bigger by 2027.
02:02State and federal leaders like Texas Governor Greg Abbott say that advanced security and fast
02:08intake systems will make things better.
02:11But immigration advocates and legal experts point out that with so many people, long waits
02:17for hearings and a shortage of lawyers mean many could spend months stuck inside, just trying
02:24to get help.
02:25The numbers keep on climbing.
02:27In five months, Texas alone has arrested over 20,000 migrants, double of Florida's numbers
02:34and triple of California's.
02:36Operation Lone Star allows Texas troopers to act as immigration agents, boosting the arrest rate even more.
02:44Inside, detainees get basic medical care, legal aid and controlled family visits.
02:50Every wing is monitored 24 by 7.
02:54Supporters argue that it keeps America safe, but critics insist that it is a symbol of harsh policies
03:00that ignore human rights and due process.
03:04And it is not the only notorious facility.
03:07Guatemala's migrant camps have seen outrage for poor conditions and unfair hearings.
03:13Florida's Alligator Alcatraz Camp and historic Alcatraz Prison conjure images of isolation and rough treatment,
03:21reminders of what experts fear Lone Star Lockup could become.
03:25With unanswered questions about who runs it, repeated construction missteps and a deep, complicated history,
03:34Lone Star Lockup sits at the very core of America's immigration debate.
03:39Its future is still uncertain.
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