The Department of Homeland Security is expanding immigration enforcement nationwide, with its latest effort focused on a well-known prison in Louisiana. The Angola facility has a long history, and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said the new site is intended to encourage people living in the U.S. illegally to leave voluntarily.
DHS expands immigration enforcement in Louisiana
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, R, said Wednesday that the new facility will house the most dangerous unauthorized immigrants with criminal records.
“Democrats’ open border policies have allowed for the illegal entry of violent criminals, rapists, child predators, human traffickers and drug dealers who have left the path of destruction and death throughout America,” Landry said at the facility.
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Landry said the opening of “Louisiana Lockup” won’t solve the problem entirely but could serve as a step toward improving public safety. The facility, originally built as Camp J to hold “disruptive” prisoners, had fallen into disrepair over the years. The state worked to repair and reopen it in collaboration with DHS and Immigration and Customs Enforcement to house unauthorized immigrants.
“There has never been an agreement like this one before,” Noem said during the news conference. “[Landry] offered us a space that we could house these dangerous criminals and make sure that they were never able to harm another child or family member in this country ever again.”
According to state officials, Angola is the nation’s largest maximum-security prison, spanning 18,000 acres, in the middle of wildlife and equipped with multiple deterrents to prevent escapes.
The new facility will only have a male population and will be kept separate from the rest of Angola’s current state prison population.
The new facility will hold 208 detainees by mid-September, with capacity expected to rise to more than 400 in the coming months. Noem said 51 unauthorized immigrants are already being held, highlighting the type of individuals the center is intended to house.
“Omar Martinez Garcia, a 39-year-old citizen of Mexico. His criminal history includes a conviction for homicide, second-degree murder and he was sentenced to 16 years in prison,” Noem said.
She added that others in the facility have convictions for sex crimes, burglary, drug offenses and violent acts.
Funding and federal partnerships
Noem said funding from President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act enabled DHS to finance sites like Louisiana’s facility and support tens of thousands of additional beds in new U.S. detention centers.
“With the rate of arrests and deportations as high as it’s been, we need all the help that we can get to increase our detention space,” she said.
The Trump administration has used high-profile detention centers to send a message that crime won’t be tolerated, including the Florida Everglades site nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz,” which a judge recently ordered to shut down indefinitely.
Still, federal and state authorities are pushing to expand immigration detention, opening new facilities like Indiana’s “Speedway Slammer” and Nebraska’s “Cornhusker Clink.”
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said Louisiana has become a key partner beyond immigration enforcement, working with the federal agencies to help dismantle drug organizations in the state.
History of Angola
Angola’s origins trace back to the early 19th century, when it was established on land previously known as the “Angola Plantations,” named after the homeland of enslaved Africans who were brought to the area. In 1880, former Confederate Maj. Samuel James acquired the plantation and transformed it into a prison camp, utilizing the existing slave quarters to house inmates.
“The majority of Black inmates were subleased to land owners to replace slaves while others continued levee, railroad and road construction,” according to the Angola museum’s website. White inmates were viewed as more intellectual and were often given jobs such as craftsmen or clerks.
This practice continued under the convict leasing system until 1901, when the state of Louisiana purchased the property and began operating it as a state penitentiary.
Angola gained national attention for its brutal conditions, including forced labor, overcrowding and inadequate medical care. In the 1970s, the prison became infamous for the case of the “Angola Three,” three Black men who were placed in solitary confinement for decades after being convicted of a prison guard’s murder, raising questions about racial injustice and prison reform.
