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US advances new express detention center for migrant families
🇦🇷 Argentina /Crime & Justice

US advances new express detention center for migrant families

From La Nación · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • The U.S. government plans to open a new express detention center in Alexandria, Louisiana, to process migrant returns.
  • The facility will house migrant families and unaccompanied minors before their deportation flights.
  • Human rights advocates express concern over potential undue pressure and lack of clear information for migrants making voluntary departure decisions.

The U.S. government is preparing to open a new express detention center in Alexandria, Louisiana, designed to centralize the process for returning migrants who have opted for voluntary departure. The facility aims to consolidate affected groups near a strategic air terminal facilitating deportations.

Expected to be operational as early as August 2026, the center will specifically accommodate migrant families and unaccompanied minors without a legal guardian. Its primary function will be to house these individuals in the hours preceding their departure flights from the United States. According to AP, the facility is intended to support families choosing to leave the country, though human rights defenders warn that such decisions may occur under undue pressure or with insufficient information.

This is an expansion of the deportation system in ways we haven't seen before. There is a tremendous amount that could go wrong with this facility.

— Leecia WelchLeecia Welch, a legal advisor, expressed concerns about the new detention center to AP.

"This is an expansion of the deportation system in ways we haven't seen before. There is a tremendous amount that could go wrong with this facility," stated legal advisor Leecia Welch to AP. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) plans for migrants to stay at the site for a maximum of 72 hours. This timeframe is intended to allow for the completion of necessary administrative procedures before boarding deportation flights.

The center is situated adjacent to Alexandria International Airport, streamlining logistical operations for ICE. The facility, located on a former military base, has a capacity of 528 individuals. ICE officially classifies the space as a "staging area" and prohibits terms like "prisoners" or "detainees" in official documentation. Contractors have been instructed to avoid installing bars or cages in transport areas. The operation will be managed by a subsidiary of LaSalle Corrections, a private company experienced in correctional facility management, under a contract signed in late June.

These are people who are volunteering to go home and are returning as a family unit.

— Ralph HennessyRalph Hennessy, CEO of the England Airpark Authority, described the purpose of the facility.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by La Nación in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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