Trump Administration Plans 528-Bed ICE Facility Near Alexandria Airport

The Trump administration plans to open a 528-bed holding facility for migrant families and unaccompanied children next to Alexandria International Airport in Louisiana. The location would place families and children near the nation's largest hub for deportation flights, reducing the need to transport them from distant shelters and foster homes.

Facility Details U.S.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement describes the site as a staging area where people would stay a few days at most. Records obtained by The Associated Press indicate it would operate as a 72-hour holding center. The facility is scheduled to be run by the nonprofit arm of LaSalle Corrections. A spokesperson for the England Airpark Authority said it could open as early as August.

Immigration advocates have raised questions about how long children might remain at the site and about oversight procedures. Leecia Welch, chief legal counsel at Children's Rights, said the project expands the deportation system in ways not previously seen.

Unaccompanied children are normally placed in state-licensed shelters overseen by the Office of Refugee Resettlement. The Alexandria facility would not involve that agency, according to a spokesperson at the airfield.

have directed contractors to avoid referring to families as prisoners or detainees and to allow them to wear their own clothes. The facility will not require headcounts during transport. More than 4,400 immigration enforcement flights used Alexandria International Airport in 2025, according to data from the ICE Flight Monitor.