The ACLU of Louisiana says the housing of undocumented immigrants convicted of serious crimes at the Louisiana State Penitentiary is a dangerous disregard of the legal system. ACLU Louisiana legal director Nora Ahmed says housing immigrants in a prison abandon the pretense that immigration detention is civil rather than criminal.
“There is a decision to confuse the American people and the people of Louisiana that the immigrants in detention are there to serve some form of criminal punishment. When they know, at law, that is not how civil immigration detention is allowed to be used,” Ahmed said.
Ahmed says immigration detention is a civil process to ensure court appearances, not punishment for criminal behavior.
“We don’t believe that you are allowed to be double incarcerated for time that you already served, or you cannot be punished again for a punishment you already received,” Ahmed said.
Angola has a notorious reputation because it was once slave plantation. In the 1960s and 70s, there were numerous incidents of extreme violence and even in recent history there have been accusations of inhumane conditions.
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem says they absolutely chose Angola to send the worst of the worst ICE detainees because of its reputation.
“You’re going to end up here because we’re going to throw the book at you and everything else that we have until you’re out of this country, and you no longer have the right to be free and no longer have the right to be in the United States of America,” Noem said.
There are already 51 ICE detainees housed at Angola with plans to hold more than 400. ICE Deputy Director Madison Sheahan says the facility meets the organization’s standards. The detainees will have access to a legal library and spaces to meet with their attorneys. Sheahan says the plan is for these detainees to eventually be sent back to their home country.
“The folks that are in this facility have committed heinous crimes. They’re going through the immigration hearing process and then, ultimately, will be removed depending on the judge’s decision,” Sheahan said.
