OSHA cites 3 companies after death of worker building ICE detention camp

Federal regulators have cited three contractors for safety violations stemming from the death of a worker helping build a major immigration detention center last year.

Serious violations were found by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration after its investigation into the July 21, 2025, death of 38-year-old Hector Gonzalez, who died in a construction accident as contractors raced to build Camp East Montana in El Paso, Texas.

The violations were highlighted in a report released Monday by the watchdog group Public Citizen, which scrutinized the companies profiting from work at the costly but troubled U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center.

Gonzalez’s death came days after the Army awarded a contract worth up to $1.3 billion to build and operate the camp.