The state of Louisiana has become one of the largest hubs for immigration detention in the U.S., with majority of facilities operated by for-profit companies.
Currently, there are nine immigration detention facilities and one transfer staging area for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
In total, ICE has held approximately 7,470 individuals in detention facilities in Louisiana as of September 2025, which is the second-highest number of detainees in the U.S. after Texas, according to TRACreports.
Are new ICE detention centers being built or opened in Louisiana? What to know
On Sept. 3, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced a partnership with Louisiana to expand ICE detention space at the Louisiana State Penitentiary, also known as Angola, with the facility nicknamed “Louisiana Lockup,” says the DHS.
Now, there have been discussions of plans to open a new ICE facility in Lafayette.
Lafayette Parish Sheriff Mark Garber confirmed that the office has been in negotiations with ICE to turn the LPSO Annex, which is a sheriff-owned building, into a 72-hour facility for immigrant detainees, The Current reported.
The jail annex building is a 15,000-square-foot facility that was built in 1993 to house federal inmates, with enough space for 96 detainees.
Despite initial interactions, negotiations between Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office and ICE have stalled.
This proposal to open a new facility in Louisiana comes as the DHS is working to utilize state and local facilities to hold immigrant detainees, with many state and local agencies in Louisiana entering formal partnerships with ICE.
The Jena/La Salle ICE detention facility where Palestinian Columbia student Mahmoud Khalil, who was arrested by U.S. Department of Homeland Security agents, was transferred is seen in Jena, Louisiana, U.S. March 10, 2025. REUTERS/Edmund Fountain
What partnerships do Louisiana law enforcment agencies have with ICE?
Agencies including the Louisiana State Police, the Louisiana Alcohol and Tobacco Control, the Louisiana National Guard, the Louisiana State Fire Marshal and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries have partnered with ICE under the 287(g) program.
Local agencies such as the Beauregard Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Kenner Police Department and the Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office have also partnered with ICE under the 287(g) program.
The 287(g) program allows state and local agencies to be deputized, and supervised, by ICE in order to perform immigration functions, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Governor Jeff Landry’s “Operation GEAUX” encourages these partnerships in order to enable Louisiana law enforcement agencies to enforce the Trump Administration’s immigration initiative, according to Office of Governor Jeff Landry.
Presley Bo Tyler is a reporter for the Louisiana Deep South Connect Team for Gannett/USA Today. Find her on X @PresleyTyler02 and email at PTyler@Gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Are new ICE detention facilities opening in Louisiana? What to know
