DHS Report Details Use-of-Force Violations at Louisiana Immigration Facility

A Department of Homeland Security inspector general report documented multiple use-of-force violations at the Winn Correctional Center in Winnfield, Louisiana. Investigators reviewed video footage from an unannounced inspection and found staff placed a detainee in a chokehold, which agency policy generally prohibits.

In a separate incident, an officer stabbed a detainee’s right thumb with a pen after the detainee refused to remove a hand from a housing-unit door. The report stated the officer received disciplinary action. It also concluded the facility did not fully comply with federal standards on use of force, environmental health and safety, medical care, and access to legal materials.

Inspectors noted leaking vents and ceilings, with staff using napkins and Styrofoam cups to catch water, along with record-keeping errors and limited exercise equipment.

A shared computer used for legal research raised concerns that one detainee’s case information could be visible to others. The inspector general issued nine recommendations to improve compliance and oversight of force incidents and facility conditions.

A spokesperson for ICE told NBC News the infractions were minor and included failing to provide exercise equipment, record-keeping errors, and leaking vents. The same spokesperson said ICE maintains higher detention standards than most U.S. prisons.

ICE held 60,311 people in detention nationwide as of April 4, 2026, according to Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse data.