Trump Administration to Send Migrants to Maximum-Security Prison in Louisiana

Migrants Sent to Angola Prison

Trump Expands Migrant Detention

Prison With History of Abuse

According to the EFE news agency, the U.S. government has decided to transfer migrants to the nation’s largest maximum-security prison, located in Louisiana.

The measure is part of President Donald Trump’s strategy to expand migrant detention capacity and send a message of control.

With space for more than six thousand people, Angola prison will now be adapted to house migrants in newly designated confinement areas.

The move has drawn criticism due to the prison’s notorious history and longstanding allegations of abuse against inmates.

Bloody History of Angola Prison

Trump administration to send migrants to a maximum-security prison in Louisiana https://t.co/QDIKxNLUSn

— Departamento19 (@Departamento19) September 3, 2025

The Louisiana prison was built in the late 19th century on former cotton and sugarcane plantation land.

Over time, it became a symbol of mass incarceration and forced labor for thousands of prisoners.

Angola earned its reputation as the nation’s bloodiest prison due to deaths, mistreatment, and labor exploitation inside its facilities.

Human rights organizations have for decades pointed to systemic violence and neglect as defining features of the penitentiary.

Migrants in Louisiana Face Solitary Confinement

Trump Administration to Send Migrants to Maximum-Security Prison in Louisiana – PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK

According to official reports, at least 51 migrants have already been transferred to the maximum-security prison in Louisiana.

The Department of Homeland Security announced plans to open more than 400 additional beds to increase detention capacity.

The detainees will be confined in an area known as “The Dungeon,” primarily used for prolonged isolation.

Such conditions, linked to solitary confinement, have been denounced as cruel and inhuman treatment by international organizations.

Migration Strategy Backed by Record Funding

Trump Administration to Send Migrants to Maximum-Security Prison in Louisiana – PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK

In July, Congress approved a historic budget package reinforcing President Donald Trump’s anti-immigrant agenda.

With those funds, DHS set the goal of expanding detention capacity nationwide by 80,000 beds.

Currently, more than 61,200 migrants remain in custody—a figure not seen in several years.

Around 45% of them have no criminal record, fueling controversy over the policy of mass detention.

Lawsuits Over Abuse and Mistreatment in Prison

The Angola prison has been the subject of numerous lawsuits denouncing forced labor, violence, and medical neglect against inmates.

In 2023, the ACLU filed a lawsuit against the government over the treatment of minors detained at the facility.

Such cases have reignited debate about the use of prisons with violent histories as migrant detention centers.

Human rights advocates argue that placing migrants in maximum-security prisons violates fundamental principles of dignity and justice.

Symbol of Trump’s Immigration Policy

The transfer of migrants to Angola reflects the harshness of Trump’s approach to irregular migration.

Critics contend that these decisions criminalize people who pose no threat and are simply seeking better opportunities.

The Louisiana prison—with its history of abuse and overcrowding—has become emblematic of this restrictive policy.

In this context, migrants in Louisiana have become the central figures of a plan that prioritizes incarceration over human rights.