Author: KVIA

Gabrielle Lopez

SUNLAND PARK, N.M. (KVIA) — Doña Ana Fire Rescue and Sunland Park firefighters put out a house fire Wednesday in Sunland Park.

A garage in a house on the 900 block of Nickel Hill Avenue caught fire, according to the county. The house is in a nighborhood off Pete Domenici Boulevard.

Firefighters got there just before 1:30 a.m. They contained the fire to the garage and brought it under control within five minutes, the county said.

Nobody was injured, according to the county. The cause is unknown and under investigation.

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Gabrielle Lopez

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — Monday, Fort Bliss announced it has been named as the best installation in the U.S. Army.

As part of the recognition, Fort Bliss earned the 2026 Commander in Chief’s Annual Award for Installation Excellence.

Out of 104 Army Garrisons around the world, Fort Bliss won under 1st Armored Division and Fort Bliss Commanding General Maj. Gen. Curtis D. Taylor and Garrison Commander Col. Michael V. Soyka, the installation said.

Col. Soyka said President Trump and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth choose the winners for the Commander in Chief’s award.

“The big heavy lifting for us is done by the Department of Army Civilians. They do an amazing job every day running this giant installation,” Sol. Soyka said.

Criteria for the award looks over garrisons’ services, including security, safety and maintenance, he said.

“El Paso was just named the best big city to live in,” he said. “You also have the best garrison in the United States Army across the entire world all in one place.”

Col. Soyka said the recognitions can help recruit more people into the Army.

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Andrew J. Polk

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — Tuesday, El Paso’s City Council listened to residents share their thoughts on the city possibly cancelling a contract with Meta over a planned data center.

Husch Blackwell, a legal council hired by the city, presented some legal liabilities the city and Meta could come about if the data center project stops.

City Representatives Lily Limón and Josh Acevedo introduced Item 37. The proposed item would direct the city to start negotiations to end the Chapter 380 Economic Development Program Agreement with Wurldwide LLC and its parent company, Meta Platforms Inc.

Specifically, the negotiations would look at the tax incentive contract that made the development possible.

Those include repaying the land purchase, which came from the city for $8.5 million.

Damages Meta could face as a business for not completing the contract could be much larger — they’re estimated to be between $370 and $760 million.

Other potential costs couldn’t be calculated, including consequential damages, tort damages award by courts and attorney fees.

The city attorney’s litigation budget is in the hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.

Since 10 a.m., El Pasoans spoke at the podium offering their support for the agenda item. Some also support keeping the contract with Meta.

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Paul Schulz

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — A new federal audit found millions of dollars in waste and significant oversight failures at Camp East Montana, the large immigration detention facility in the U.S., located on Fort Bliss.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office released a report detailing what it called waste and performance issues at the facility, which opened in August 2025.

The report said the Army and ICE expedited the facility’s construction and contract award process, resulting in planning, oversight and operational problems.

According to the report, the Army awarded a contract worth up to $1.3 billion to build and operate the facility.

Auditors found the government paid millions of dollars for services before any detainees arrived and continued paying for meals and other services that were not needed while the facility operated below capacity.

The report estimated the Army wasted up to $11.5 million on services between Aug. 1 and Aug. 15, 2025, before detainees were housed at the facility. Auditors also found ICE paid millions more for unused meals after taking over contract administration.

The report also identified operational issues at the facility, including a lack of perimeter security cameras, insufficient recreation space, inadequate accommodations for detainees with disabilities and delays in providing access to attorneys and family visitation areas.

Auditors found ICE did not conduct a required pre-occupancy inspection before detainees were moved into the facility.

After the facility opened, ICE documented additional concerns, including gaps in medical care, the loss of a loaded firearm, unsanitary living conditions, a detainee escape, a detainee suicide and a homicide investigation involving allegations that evidence was missing or destroyed.

In response to the report, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson shared the following statement with ABC-7:

“ICE has contracted with a new provider following the termination of the old contract inherited from the Department of War. ICE is always looking at ways to improve our detention facilities to ensure we are providing the best care to illegal aliens in our custody.

“This new contractor will allow Camp East Montana to continue abiding by the highest detention standards WITH the ability to provide MORE medical care on-site. This contract also allows more on-site staff and a PRECISE quality assurance surveillance plan. ICE will have even more oversight of the contractors at this facility. Far from closing, Camp East Montana is upgrading

Representative Veronica Escobar, who represents El Paso, said the report validates concerns she has raised about the facility since it opened.

“A loaded gun taken onto a military installation by a private contractor who lost this weapon, evidence in a homicide investigation that was destroyed, tens of millions of taxpayer dollars paid in this no-bid contract that funded services not rendered. These are just a few of the explosive details revealed in a GAO report about the $1.3 billion tent city known as Camp East Montana,” Escobar said.

Escobar called for the facility to be shut down, the contractor investigated and the destruction of evidence allegations referred to law enforcement.

GAO issued four recommendations aimed at reducing waste and improving oversight at immigration detention facilities, including requiring cost-saving measures such as tiered pricing for meals and services, ensuring facilities are inspected before detainees are housed, and strengthening oversight procedures.

The Department of Homeland Security and Department of Defense agreed with the recommendations and said they would take steps to address the issues identified in the report.

Access the full report here or read it below:

gao-26-108886Download

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Gabrielle Lopez

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — A youth soccer program under the El Paso Locomotive FC aims to help young players fall in love with the sport before diving into competition. The First Stop Recreational Program is open for children ages 5-9, according to the Locomotive FC.

Players will learn the basics of soccer, build teamwork, sportsmanship and the “freedom to try, fail, and to try again.”

In a news release, the FC said youth sports can move toward competition too fast before children find passion for the game. First Stop wants players to understand that growth in sport is a journey, not a race.

First Stop also wants to welcome families who may be new to organized soccer.

“If we nurture those first moments with care, patience and purpose, we help cultivate not only better players, but a stronger soccer culture for El Paso for years to come,” the FC said.

Each season is 10 weeks long, according to the FC website, and has a total of eight games. The starting date is set for Sept. 7 and ends Nov. 14.

Practices are scheduled for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons.

Gamedays take place on Friday afternoons or Saturday mornings each week at the Sunland Park Sports Complex.

Paying for the program covers administrative costs, coaching resources, field rentals, equipment, and a ticket to a Locomotive home match, according to the FC.

Players will need long socks over shin guards, sneakers or cleats, a soccer ball and Locomotive jerseys. The FC said players will get their jerseys at the meet and greet a week before the season starts.

Registration for the upcoming season is still open. You can fill out a form here.

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Olivia Vara

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA)– El Paso is one of the sunniest cities in the U.S. with about 300 days of sunshine a year. Yet vitamin D deficiency in the Borderland is more common than you think.

Local health professionals note that the intense desert heat frequently drives people indoors during peak daylight hours, drastically minimizing natural sun exposure.

Additionally, on the chance El Pasoans do venture outside in the heat, diligent use of high-SPF sunscreen effectively blocks the ultraviolet rays necessary for the body to synthesize this essential nutrient.

This widespread lack of vitamin D often quietly shows up through chronic fatigue, muscle weakness and a weakened immune system. Many El Pasoans remain unaware that these are the symptoms of a vitamin D deficiency because they mimic other health conditions.

Health officials emphasize the importance of routine blood panels to accurately detect low levels before you start noticing symptoms.

Depending on the severity of your vitamin D deficiency, health officials may recommend targeted oral supplements or specialized vitamin D injections.

Ultimately, balancing smart sun protection with proactive medical guidance is the best way for El Pasoans to maintain optimal bone and immune health.

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Gabrielle Lopez

update (4:26 p.m.) — The City of Sunland Park confirmed with ABC-7 that all lanes reopened.

UPDATE (1:32 p.m.) — One person has been airlifted by the El Paso Fire Department’s Fire STAR helicopter and two others went to the hospital after the crash, according to Sunland Park Fire.

Courtesy: SPFD

Three vehicles were involved in the crash, SPFD said.

Courtesy: SPFD

SUNLAND PARK, N.M. (KVIA) — A crash closed all lanes at the intersection of Pete Domenici Highway (NM 136) and Strauss Road in Santa Teresa, New Mexico, according to the City of Sunland Park Tuesday.

The crash is near the War Eagles Air Museum.

Courtesy: City of Sunland Park

First responders expect a longer closure to clear the crash site and to investigate, the city said.

Sunland Park’s fire and police departments are at the intersection.

The city said drivers should avoid the area and find a different route.

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Heriberto Perez Lara

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — The El Paso Fire Department’s Water Rescue Team, which handles swift-water rescues, canal emergencies and flood responses across the El Paso area, among other things, will start its seasonal training today.

ABC-7 reported late last month that water was released into the El Paso canal and into the Rio Grande, where the Water Rescue Team has responded to body recoveries and rescues lately.

Last night, the El Paso Police Department, along with other local agencies, found a man dead in the water canal by Socorro Rd.

ABC-7 will tag along with the Water Rescue Team today to learn more about how they will prepare in case of more water rescues during this summer season.

Watch the full story in our later newscasts.

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Gabrielle Lopez

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — Starting Wednesday, people can tour the Magoffin Home amid its restoration.

The Magoffin Home in Downtown El Paso “tells the stories of a multicultural family that influenced the development of the Southwest borderlands,” the Texas Historical Commission said.

The mansion has been closed as crews repair the 150-year-old adobe bricks, but tourists will have a chance to watch experts at work. The historical commission said tourists can even see parts of the building not visible since the walls first went up in the 1870s.

Hard hat tours will be available on some Wednesdays and Saturdays through July, with more dates to be added. Tours start June 10.

Tourists have to be at least 6 years old, according to the historical commission. To take the tour, you have to wear a hard hat (provided at the tour), close-toed shoes and long pants.

Tourists wear hard hats as they tour the Magoffin Home.(Courtesy: Texas Historical Commission)

Adult admission is $7, senior admission is $6 and students can get in for $4.

The historical commission recommended making a reservation, which you can do through this website.

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Nicole Ardila

Update (8:15 p.m.) — The majority of El Paso City Council members voted against the possibility of canceling the tax incentive agreement with Meta for the data center in Northeast El Paso.

The votes were as follows:

FOR: Dr. Josh Acevedo, Lily Limón, Chris Canales

AGAINST: Alejandra Chávez, Ivan Niño, Art Fierro, Deanna Maldonado-Rocha, Cynthia Boyar Trejo

UPDATE (6 p.m.) — Public speaking continues into the afternoon as council makes their way through a list of 183 speakers. Earlier in the day, council was dealing with overflow because council chambers reached capacity at over 220 people.

There are many people both in support of the Meta data center and against it. One side says Meta is going to drain resources and cost El Pasoans. The other says the data center will provide jobs for working class laborers and prevent them from leaving the city to find a job somewhere else.

Tensions between the two sides remain high. Mayor Renard Johnson has had to reiterate the guidelines for both speakers and observers in council chambers multiple times. Several pro-data center speakers were booed and interrupted while at the podium.

One pro-data speaker who was booed said, “They were very rude. It’s a group of rude individuals that have a lot of misinformation, and they’ve been saying it for months, and now I’m happy to see the unions and people that are actually out on the front lines, actually building this with accurate information, come out and speak in support of their community.”

A speaker against the Meta data center said, “It will be a tragedy. There will be nothing left of El Paso. Nothing. Can you not see it? Because I can. And as you can tell, I’m not even from here. But my family is here.” Supporters of Item 37 in chambers cheered for her as she spoke.

There are still several hours of public comment left before council reaches a decision.

UPDATE (12 p.m.) — For the public speaking session, 183 people signed up. The city called up people in groups of five to allow them to have time to have their say.

Each person is provided three minutes to address the council. That means there is just more than nine hours of public speakers signed up.

ABC-7 is at the meeting and will provide updates.

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — During Tuesday’s city council meeting, residents will have a chance to share concerns about the Meta data center to possibly cancel the contract..

Item 37 on Tuesday’s agenda was introduced by City Rep. Lily Limón and Rep. Josh Acevedo, who are directing the city manager and attorney to negotiate and terminate the contract, after hearing from a majority of residents who are against it.

Mayor Renard Johnson told ABC-7 last week that the agreement can’t be terminated. He told abc-7 why it could come at a cost for the tax payer. 

“If you were to enter into any litigation with that particular company, and if El Paso was to lose, we would also have to pay their attorney fees. So that would be a significant amount of money that would be based on the taxpayers,” he said.

He also shares that it makes a bad impression on other companies for future negotiations.

Organizations like Amanecer People’s Project, who fights for clean resources, says this meeting is a huge step to reduce any environmental and financial harms from this project.

Co-founder Matthew Rodriguez says the city might have not been well aware of the scale of damage a center like this can cause to the borderland, and calls Mayor Johnson’s argument to not cancel, a “scare tactic.”

“This talk about ‘trust’ and ‘we need to honor our word’ and ‘this will hurt our reputation,’ these things just aren’t fit to this situation,” says Rodriguez. “Meta is is trying to extract from us, people don’t want that to happen, it’s very clear that people don’t want it.”

The meeting begins at 9 a.m. but public comment begins at 10 a.m.

You can call in at 915-212-0049 or sign up to speak in-person on Item 37 by 9 a.m.

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