Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will begin using part of the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola as a new detention center for immigrants with criminal records. Homeland Security officials said the facility will focus on holding what the Trump administration calls “the worst of the worst.”
The announcement came during a press conference with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, and U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi. Officials revealed that the detention area, now named “Louisiana Lockup,” will start with 208 detainees by mid-September, 51 of whom are already in custody. Over the next few months, capacity is expected to grow to 400.
The Angola prison, often referred to as the “Alcatraz of the South,” is the largest maximum-security prison in the United States. Surrounded by the Mississippi River, it currently houses more than 4,200 inmates, with over half serving life sentences. State leaders said the new ICE section will give authorities a place to consolidate violent offenders into one secure deportation and holding center.
Bondi also highlighted Operation Viper, a joint effort between federal and state authorities to dismantle drug networks in Louisiana. She pointed to recent arrests and the seizure of more than 100 firearms as proof of progress in tackling organized crime alongside immigration enforcement.
This facility is part of a larger expansion of ICE detention centers across the country. Funding for the expansion comes from President Donald Trump’s $46 billion border security bill, which gave ICE a major increase in resources. According to officials, discussions are already underway with Republican governors in other states to open additional detention centers.
Reports show that Louisiana already has nine ICE facilities, including four correctional centers and a public safety complex. The ICE center in Alexandria is one of the largest in the U.S. and has held several high-profile detainees in the past. Renovations at Angola’s “Camp J” site, abandoned since 2018, were fast-tracked by executive order to prepare it for new detainees.
The American Immigration Council noted that the government’s new detention spending represents a 265% jump compared to ICE’s previous budget. It also now exceeds the total annual budget of the federal prison system by more than 60%. According to the American Immigration Lawyers Association, the average daily cost of keeping one immigrant in federal custody is about $165.
Supporters of the new detention space say it will boost public safety. “Thanks to investments provided by the Big Beautiful Bill, the Angola prison in my district will now hold some of the most violent, criminal illegal immigrants,” said Louisiana Rep. Julia Letlow. She added that she fully supports President Trump’s focus on border security and immigration enforcement.