The Trump administration is set to establish a 528-bed detention facility for migrant families and unaccompanied children adjacent to the airport hub, a move that is likely to expedite deportations.
Located in Alexandria, Louisiana, the facility aims to resolve logistical challenges associated with transporting children from foster homes and shelters nationwide. Previously, instances arose where children from Guatemala were forced to wait on an airport tarmac for hours after being collected in the middle of the night, leaving them with limited time to reach Harlingen, Texas, prior to their flights.
Although a federal judge intervened to block their deportation, this chaotic episode underscored the difficulties faced by authorities when it comes to accommodating families and children near the airport. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has labeled the Alexandria facility as a “holding area,” insisting that individuals will typically remain there for only a few days.
However, immigration advocates have expressed alarm that children may be held for extended periods—potentially weeks or months—much like other federal immigration detention centers. These advocates are also concerned about the heightened surveillance the new facility may entail, arguing that it signifies a troubling shift in the government’s approach to managing minors.
According to Lecia Welch, chief legal counsel at the nonprofit organization Children’s Rights, the establishment of this facility marks an unprecedented expansion of the deportation system. She warns that the potential for mismanagement in such a facility is considerable.
Private Prison Companies Engage in Operating Deportation Facilities
Unaccompanied children in the United States are not to be sent to facilities overseen by ICE. Legally, these minors must be placed in state-licensed shelters or foster care programs instead, managed by the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement. However, officials at the airfield under construction have stated that this agency will not operate the Alexandria facility.
Instead, Ralph Hennessy, executive director of Air Parks England, confirmed that the facility will be run by the nonprofit arm of LaSalle Corrections, a private prison operator. He anticipates that the facility could commence operations as early as August.
Hennessy noted that ICE officials executed a contract late last month for the construction of the facility on a decommissioned military base near Alexandria International Airport, approximately 175 miles northwest of New Orleans. The center will function as a 72-hour holding area for immigrants awaiting deportation, according to records obtained by The Associated Press.
Compass Connections, a Texas-based nonprofit that specializes in operating shelters for unaccompanied immigrant children, was initially approached to manage the facility. However, Sonya Thompson, the organization’s president, recently informed The Associated Press that they are no longer involved, without providing further details.
Facility Designated for Repatriated Families
During a recent public board meeting, airport officials characterized the facility as a “humanitarian effort” intended for families who are “voluntarily repatriated.” Immigration advocates have countered that families and unaccompanied minors sometimes feel compelled to make this choice under duress or lack of understanding of their options.
Hennessy, in his comments to The Associated Press, reiterated that these individuals are choosing to return to their home countries voluntarily, emphasizing their intention to return as a unified family.
The facility’s proximity to the nation’s largest deportation hub is notable, with over 4,400 immigration flights recorded at Alexandria International Airport in 2025, according to ICE Flight Monitor data. As outlined in ICE planning documents, families and children within the facility will remain “in the legal custody of ICE” and may only be released under ICE directives.
Records indicate that officials have directed contractors to refrain from labeling families at the facility as prisoners, detainees, or inmates. Furthermore, they have mandated that contractors avoid using bars or cages during transport and ensured that facilities allow families to wear their own clothing.
Private Prison Companies Manage Additional ICE Detention Centers
LaSalle Corrections, based in Louisiana, operates various private prisons and federal immigration detention centers across the South, including the Louisiana Lockup within the state’s maximum-security prison in Angola.
The official contractor overseeing the new ICE storage facility will be the LaSalle Family Foundation, the nonprofit division of the company. This nonprofit provides chaplaincy services and educational programs in correctional facilities, as shown in tax records.
Tim Krupewski, chief financial officer of LaSalle, confirmed that the for-profit arm of the organization will be involved in the facility’s operation and compliance efforts, as outlined in an email reviewed by The Associated Press.
While LaSalle officials have not commented publicly, it is noteworthy that two detainee deaths have been reported at an ICE facility in Louisiana run by the company since April. In June, the Winn Correctional Center was cited for violating standards related to environmental health and safety, medical care, and food service, among other issues, according to the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General.
