The Trump administration is moving to significantly expand its immigration detention operations at the Alexandria International Airport in Louisiana. This expansion is a key component of the White House’s broader mass deportation agenda, specifically targeting the processing of migrant families and children.
However, the administration is seeking to establish a first-of-its-kind, short-term facility to hold migrant families and unaccompanied children. The site is located next to a runway that has become a central node for the White House’s mass deportation agenda. Lease agreements between DHS and the airport are nearing completion with the site expected to be operational within 60 to 90 days.
Officials claim the center is a humanitarian effort designed for individuals who have chosen to self-deport. Compass Connections describes it as a first-of-its-kind site providing wrap-around services for migrants’ final days in the US. Furthermore, Executive Director Ralph Hennessy dismissed reports of poor conditions as inaccurate as reported by the Guardian.
He expressed no concerns over the project’s reputation, stating that some migrants don’t want to go home because they prefer living off the federal government. The Alexandria airport has become a major hub for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportation and transfer flights, where family groups and unaccompanied minors are sometimes held for days in nearby hotels.
Furthermore, Tania Wolf, the south-east advocacy manager for the National Immigration Project, expressed concerns that the new center would perpetuate the same date due process issues seen elsewhere.
