❓WHAT HAPPENED: A federal immigration detention facility is set to open at the Louisiana State Penitentiary to accommodate illegal immigrants detained under President Donald J. Trump’s immigration enforcement efforts.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Donald Trump, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry (R), Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and federal authorities.
📍WHEN & WHERE: Announced on September 3, 2025, at the Louisiana State Penitentiary, known as “Angola.”
💬KEY QUOTE: “This facility is designed to hold criminal illegal aliens, the worst of the worst,” said Gov. Landry.
🎯IMPACT: The facility aims to deter illegal immigration and house up to 400 detainees, adding to the over 60,000 already in detention.
A new federal immigration detention facility is set to open on the grounds of the notorious Louisiana State Penitentiary, commonly known as “Angola.” The facility, dubbed the “Louisiana Lockup” by the Trump administration, has already received 51 detainees and is projected to reach its 400-person capacity in the coming months, according to Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry (R).
Speaking with the media on Wednesday, Landry explained that the facility will be used to detain “the worst of the worst” and house the “most violent offenders” in “a single deportation and holding facility.” He added, “If you don’t think that they belong in somewhere like this, you’ve got a problem.”
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem highlighted the facility’s “legendary” reputation, but acknowledged that the detained illegal immigrants would be kept separate from the prison’s general population. According to Noem, the detention wing of the facility will be operated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) contractors and house “high-risk” illegal immigrants, including those with prior convictions for murder, sexual assault, and child pornography.
At a press conference, Noem emphasized the consequences for those who commit serious crimes and are in the country illegally, warning, “You’re going to end up here.”
The Trump administration has been collaborating with state and local authorities, as well as the private prison industry, to expand detention capacity for migrants awaiting deportation. This initiative includes similar facilities in Nebraska, Indiana, and Florida, often given alliterative names, with the Sunshine State’s “Alligator Alcatraz” being the most famous.
The establishment of the Angola facility follows a Barack Obama-appointed judge’s ruling that blocked further detainees from being sent to “Alligator Alcatraz.”
Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.