Inside Angola: ICE Opens New Immigrant Detention Center

The U.S. government has launched a new immigrant detention facility inside the Louisiana State Penitentiary, better known as Angola, one of the country’s most infamous maximum-security prisons.

The site, which once housed the state’s harshest offenders and has a long history of violence and controversy, will now hold up to 400 male immigrants convicted of serious crimes.

Federal and state officials said the goal is to consolidate “high-risk” detainees, including individuals convicted of offenses such as murder, sexual assault, and drug trafficking, into one secure location.

As of this week, 51 detainees have already been transferred, with the population expected to grow to more than 200 by the end of the month.

Authorities stressed that immigrant detainees will be kept separate from Angola’s general prison population, and the facility will be run by ICE contractors. Supporters argue that the move strengthens national security and streamlines deportation procedures.

Critics, however, warn that Angola’s troubled past, including allegations of abuse, overcrowding, and harsh solitary confinement, makes it an inappropriate site for housing immigration detainees.