The administration of US President Donald Trump will send detained migrants to the "Angola" prison in Louisiana, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported, citing its sources.
According to the information, the government expects the facility to provide prisoners with about 450 beds, and the plan itself will take effect in early September.
"Angola" is the largest maximum-security prison in the United States, in the past known as one of the "bloodiest" in the country. According to the publication, housing migrants in Louisiana will allow the United States to save money on building a new center for illegal immigrants. The newspaper notes that if the project is implemented, the migrants will be forced to serve their sentences in a facility where more than 70% of prisoners are convicted of violent crimes.
In total, the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operates more than 200 temporary immigration detention centers in the United States. On July 4, Trump signed a spending bill that allocates $45 billion to expand immigration detention capacity.
Trump has repeatedly called for stricter immigration policies. Immediately after taking office, he signed an executive order declaring a state of emergency on the US-Mexico border. The president said he intends to carry out the largest deportation operation in US history.
Meanwhile, a US federal judge yesterday ordered a two-week halt to construction of an immigration detention center in Florida's Everglades National Park, which has become known as "Alligator Alcatraz," while it reviews whether it violates environmental laws, the Associated Press reported.
The facility was hastily built two months ago on the grounds of a little-used single-runway training airport and can hold up to 3,000 detainees in temporary tents. Construction on the site is still ongoing, but the order from U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams temporarily prohibits any new compaction, paving or infrastructure.
The court order does not include any restrictions on law enforcement or immigration enforcement activities at the facility, which currently houses hundreds of detainees. Williams issued the temporary restraining order during a hearing and said she would issue a written order later.
Environmental groups and representatives of the local Miccosukee Indian Tribe have asked Judge Williams to issue a preliminary injunction to halt the activity and further construction. The lawsuit claims the project threatens ecologically sensitive wetlands that are home to protected plants and animals and would reverse billions of dollars in environmental restoration efforts.