New Louisiana ICE Facility to Hold Immigrant Children and Families: What Parents Should Know

What We Know About the Louisiana Facility

The planned facility is located at England Airpark, a former military installation adjacent to Alexandria International Airport. According to reporting by ABC News and other outlets, the facility is expected to accommodate families with children, unaccompanied minors, and single adult women while they await removal flights or transfer to other facilities. Local officials have indicated that the facility could begin receiving people soon.

ICE describes the location as a temporary holding facility rather than a traditional detention center. According to reporting, the proposed capacity is 528 beds, and the operators have described the intended stays as short-term. The actual length of stay and operating procedures should be confirmed as further information becomes available. Religion News Service has also reported on the planned facility and the community response, including a vigil held by local faith leaders.

The facility's label does not, by itself, determine a person's legal rights or establish how long that person may be held. The legal consequences depend on the individual's immigration history, the authority for custody, and the procedural posture of the case.

How Family Detention Affects Children

Detention can interrupt a child's education, medical care, daily routines, and contact with relatives. Families may also face uncertainty about whether children will remain with a detained parent or be cared for by someone outside the facility.

Unaccompanied children may be subject to procedures different from those used for adults or children detained with parents. Generally, the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Refugee Resettlement handles the care and placement of unaccompanied children referred to federal custody. The specific arrangements applicable to children at a new facility should be verified rather than assumed.

Parents should identify trusted caregivers and organize information about their children's medical needs, school arrangements, and emergency contacts. If a child requires regular medication, disability accommodations, or specialized treatment, relevant records may be important when communicating with authorities or an attorney.

What Happens When a Parent Is Detained?

When ICE detains a parent, the family's next steps depend on each person's immigration circumstances. A spouse or child may have a separate case, a different immigration status, or no pending proceedings. Detention of one family member does not automatically mean every relative will be detained or placed in removal proceedings.

A pending asylum application or another request for immigration relief does not automatically prevent detention or guarantee release. Likewise, a person with a prior removal order may face different procedures from someone whose case is still pending before an immigration judge.

Families should promptly determine whether hearings, appeal deadlines, removal dates, or other deadlines are approaching. A transfer to Louisiana or another facility may complicate communication with counsel and access to documents, but it does not necessarily resolve or end the underlying immigration case.

Legal Options for Detained Immigrants

Depending on the facts, a detained immigrant may have options to request custody review, seek available immigration relief, challenge a prior removal order, or contest the legality of continued detention in federal court.

Potential issues an attorney may review

• Bond or custody review: Eligibility depends on the detention authority, immigration history, and applicable law. Not every detained person qualifies for an immigration bond hearing.
• Habeas corpus: In appropriate cases, a petition in federal court may challenge unlawful detention. Jurisdiction, procedural requirements, and the available remedy must be assessed individually.
• Motion to reopen: A person with a removal order may have grounds to request that proceedings be reopened, depending on the facts, applicable deadlines, and available exceptions.
• Protection claims: Counsel may review pending or potential claims for asylum or other protection and determine what evidence is needed.

A habeas petition does not automatically stop removal or guarantee release. If removal or transfer is imminent, an attorney should separately assess whether emergency relief is legally available. The appropriate strategy depends on the person's custody status, immigration record, and the law governing the case.

How Families Can Prepare

Families can take practical steps before detention occurs or as soon as they learn that a loved one has been taken into custody. Keep copies of important records in a secure location and make sure a trusted relative knows how to access them.

• Identity records: Passports, birth certificates, marriage certificates, and available immigration identification numbers.
• Immigration documents: Applications, receipt notices, hearing notices, court orders, appeal records, and copies of prior removal orders.
• Medical information: Medication lists, treatment records, and documentation of disabilities or other urgent needs.
• Childcare arrangements: Emergency contacts, school information, and contact details for trusted caregivers.
• Legal contacts: The attorney's contact information and a summary of pending cases and upcoming deadlines.

If a family member is detained, use official ICE resources to help locate the person, contact the attorney, and gather the available immigration record. Keep notes about calls, transfers, custody information, and any upcoming deadlines. Avoid relying on anyone who promises guaranteed release or a guaranteed immigration outcome.

We assist with detained immigration cases, removal defense, asylum matters, and federal habeas corpus litigation. Our attorneys can review the custody circumstances, identify relevant deadlines, and explain which legal options may be available based on the facts. Because detention and removal matters can be time-sensitive, families should seek individualized legal advice promptly.