Federal regulators recently cited three contractors in connection with safety violations that led to the tragic death of Hector Gonzalez, a 38-year-old worker who was fatally injured while working on the construction of a major immigration detention center known as Camp East Montana in El Paso, Texas.
Gonzalez was crushed by falling materials in a construction accident on July 21, 2025, while contractors were under pressure to accelerate the completion of the camp. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) classified the violations in its investigation as serious.
The findings were disclosed in a report by the watchdog group Public Citizen, which has been critical of the companies benefiting from contracts at this costly immigration detention facility. The detention center, which opened in August 2025 after the Army awarded a $1.3 billion contract to build and operate it, quickly became ICE’s largest facility for cooping immigrants awaiting deportation hearings.
Public Citizen's report also referenced a series of allegations about inhumane living conditions and reported deaths of detainees within the facility, further underscoring the ongoing backlash against the conditions in immigration detention centers.
OSHA's investigation into Gonzalez's tragic death produced significant findings, resulting in citations against three subcontractors: Base International, JMJ Production Services, and Fulfillment Personnel Services, for various safety compliance failures. These failures highlight a concerning trend in which the contractors are implicated in safety violations while managing federal projects.
Base International is notably owned by Nathan Albers, a campaign donor to President Trump. Albers is contesting the penalties imposed by OSHA, arguing that the company acted without wrongdoing. Meanwhile, the other two companies, JMJ Production Services and Fulfillment Personnel Services, have since settled with reduced fines.
As documented by Public Citizen, this incident bespeaks a larger issue of safety and oversight surrounding the imposition of federal contracts, showing that financial interests may conflict with the welfare of workers and detainees.
