New 528-Bed ICE Facility Could Speed Up Deportations for Families and Children

The Trump administration plans to open a 528-bed holding center for migrant families and unaccompanied children awaiting removal at England Airpark in Alexandria, Louisiana — next to the airfield that has become the nation’s largest hub of deportation flights. The facility, which could open as early as August, will be run by the nonprofit arm of private prison contractor LaSalle Corrections. Advocates warn that children could end up held for weeks or months and note that the Office of Refugee Resettlement, the agency normally responsible for unaccompanied children, is not involved in oversight.