Trump opens immigration jail inside Louisiana's deadliest prison

The Trump administration opened "Camp 57" immigration detention facility on September 3, 2025, inside 🎺Louisiana's notorious Angola prison. They used the former "Dungeon" solitary confinement section closed in 2018 after lock malfunctions, weapons discoveries, and 80+ staff firings for misconduct. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and AG Pam Bondi celebrated Angola's "notorious" reputation while promoting natural barriers including "10-foot alligators" and "forests full of bears" as deterrents.

Angola is America's largest maximum-security prison, built on a former slave plantation. The facility has a history of violence, poor conditions, and human rights violations. The "Dungeon" section was specifically closed due to safety concerns and staff misconduct. Opening an immigration detention center in this location sends a clear message about how the Trump administration views detained immigrants.

Immigration advocates and legal experts condemned the decision to house asylum seekers and other immigration detainees in a facility known for its harsh conditions. The choice of Angola specifically targets vulnerable populations with intimidation tactics. Federal immigration law requires humane detention conditions, but Angola's track record suggests this standard will be difficult to maintain.

Noem and Bondi's celebration of the facility's "notorious" reputation reveals the administration's intent to use detention as punishment rather than administrative processing. Their emphasis on alligators and bears as natural deterrents treats human beings like prey. This rhetoric dehumanizes immigrants and asylum seekers while promoting fear-based immigration enforcement.

The Angola facility represents an escalation in the administration's immigration enforcement strategy. By housing immigration detainees in a maximum-security prison setting, Trump creates conditions designed to deter future immigration through cruelty. Legal challenges are expected, but the immediate impact falls on vulnerable people seeking asylum or facing deportation proceedings.