Key facts
- A new 528-bed holding facility for migrant families and unaccompanied children is planned near Alexandria, Louisiana.
- The facility aims to streamline deportations by housing individuals closer to an airport hub.
- U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) states individuals will stay for a maximum of a few days.
- Immigration advocates are concerned about potential prolonged detentions and lack of oversight.
- The facility will be operated by a nonprofit arm of LaSalle Corrections, a private prison contractor.
- The facility is intended as a 'staging area' for migrants awaiting deportation flights.
The Trump administration is planning to establish a new 528-bed holding facility in Alexandria, Louisiana, intended to expedite the deportation process for migrant families and unaccompanied children. The facility, located near Alexandria International Airport, a major hub for immigration enforcement flights, aims to resolve logistical issues that have previously hindered deportations, such as retrieving children from distant shelters.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has described the facility as a 'staging area' where individuals would be held for a maximum of a few days before deportation. However, immigration advocates have voiced significant concerns, fearing that children could be held for weeks or months, similar to experiences at other federal immigration holding sites. They also worry about the oversight of the facility and its operational departure from standard child welfare practices.
The facility is set to be operated by the LaSalle Family Foundation, a nonprofit arm of LaSalle Corrections, a private prison contractor. Records indicate the facility will function as a 72-hour holding center. Initially, Compass Connections, a nonprofit that runs shelters for unaccompanied immigrant children, was slated to help operate the facility, but it has since withdrawn from the arrangement.
Airpark officials have characterized the facility as a 'humanitarian effort' for families choosing to 'self-deport,' a decision advocates argue can be made under pressure or due to a lack of understanding of options. ICE has provided directives to contractors, including not referring to individuals as prisoners or detainees and avoiding the use of bars or cages during transport. The facility will not be required to conduct headcounts, and families will be allowed to wear their own clothes.
LaSalle Corrections, the parent company involved in operating the facility, has a history with ICE detention centers. Recent reports indicate deaths of two detainees at a LaSalle-run ICE facility in the state since April, and another LaSalle-operated center, Winn Correctional Center, was found to have violated environmental health and safety, food service, and medical care standards, among others, according to the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General.