Audit of DoW Support for the Care and Safety of Detainees in Response to the National Emergency at the Southern Border (Report No. DOWIG-2026-088)

What We Did:

The objective of this audit was to assess the effectiveness of the DoW’s planning and execution for the care and safety of individuals in the Department of Homeland Security’s custody (IDCs) in response to the national emergency at the Southern Border. Specifically, we focused on the adequacy of care and safety provided to IDCs by DoW contractors, as well as the administration and oversight of the DoW’s contracted goods and services for the care of the IDCs at facilities in Fort Bliss, Texas. For this report, we refer to individuals detained at facilities in Fort Bliss as IDCs because they are not detainees as defined by the DoW.