Fox News recently gained exclusive access to the Montgomery Processing Center, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in Conroe, Texas, just north of Houston. The facility processes approximately 400 to 500 illegal migrants weekly and is one of 134 detention centers operated by ICE nationwide.
According to ICE data, there are currently 47,928 individuals in ICE custody across the country, with 54% (25,679) having been charged or convicted of at least one criminal offense. As former President DONALD TRUMP continues to push for stricter deportation measures, facilities like the Montgomery Processing Center are under increased scrutiny for their operations and living conditions.
RANDY TATE, the facility manager, emphasized the importance of dispelling misconceptions about the center. “What we hope to accomplish, more than anything, is to dispel the false narratives out there,” he said. The facility currently houses 1,240 detainees, with a capacity of roughly 1,300.
BRET BRADFORD, ICE’s Field Office Director, clarified that the facility is not punitive but serves to ensure detainees appear in immigration court and for removal proceedings. “The only reason we detain folks is to ensure their appearance in immigration court and to ensure their appearance for removal,” he explained.
The Montgomery Processing Center is designed as a “one-stop shop,” featuring on-site medical care and a fully operational courthouse with five federal immigration courtrooms. “This place is unique because it’s one of the few in the country that were designed and built for ICE and immigration,” TATE noted.
During the tour, Fox News observed the processing and booking procedures, as well as the living conditions within the facility. Detainees are evaluated based on their flight risk and potential threat to public safety. Those deemed eligible for detention are assigned housing based on their assessed risk level, indicated by the color of their uniforms.
The facility includes dormitories, game rooms, gyms, a library, and a chapel. Detainees also have access to pro bono legal services, law libraries, and tablets for legal research. “They have multiple avenues of access,” BRADFORD said. “There are phones in every dorm. They can use them 24/7.”
Medical care is a focal point of criticism, but BRADFORD defended the facility’s practices. “When they get booked in and assessed, we find conditions, medical conditions that they didn’t even know they had and left untreated,” he said.
ICE provided examples of criminal aliens housed at the facility, including JOSE LUIS CISNEROS-ZAMORA, wanted in Mexico for sexual abuse of a minor, and VALENTIN HERNANDEZ YANEZ, convicted of aggravated sexual assault of a child. Other cases highlighted included MANUEL XOL COCH, JOSUE RICARDO REYES SUCHITE, ELMER OSWALDO LOPEZ-ZECENA, and JESUS VAZQUEZ-DANIEL, all of whom have serious criminal histories.
BRADFORD stressed the importance of protecting the community from such individuals. “A lot of these folks are criminals,” he said. “We don’t want them back in the community, and we don’t want them harming U.S. citizens.”
The Montgomery Processing Center remains a critical component of ICE’s efforts to enforce immigration laws and ensure public safety.
[Source: Fox News](https://www.foxnews.com)