Solitary confinement data among raised concerns over immigrant detention in Louisiana
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Camp 57 at Angola Prison, which is formerly known as the Louisiana State Penitentiary, now houses federal immigration detainees. Photo: Matthew Hinton/AFP via Getty Images
A little more than 9% of the immigrants detained in Louisiana were placed in solitary confinement between April 2024 and August 2025, according to a new report.
Why it matters: The data sheds additional light on how the detained immigrant population fares within the state as some civil rights organizations raise concerns over their welfare.
Zoom in: The new report by Harvard University researchers and Physicians for Human Rights, says that the use of solitary confinement had increased over time in the data it reviewed, according to Axios' Steph Solis.
- In Louisiana, 1,265 detained immigrants had been placed in solitary confinement during the research window.
The big picture: Louisiana houses the nation's second-largest immigration detention network.
- They're held in a collection of primarily private-run facilities across the state, including the new Louisiana ICE Processing Center, aka "Louisiana Lockup," which sits on the grounds of Angola Prison. That facility was not included in the Harvard report's data.
Between the lines: Civil and immigrant rights organizations in recent weeks have raised concerns over how people are treated in Louisiana's newest immigration detention facility.
- The National Immigration Project, for example, reported that some detainees had gone on a hunger strike to protest conditions in the Angola facility. Federal officials denied the reports as "fake news," and state officials said detainees hadn't denied meals until news reports about a strike emerged.
- But this week, in a lawsuit filed against the Trump administration, the American Civil Liberties Union says immigrants face inhumane conditions at Angola while being wrongfully detained over crimes for which they've already served time, the AP reports.
Flashback: Conditions in Louisiana's ICE facilities have come under fire previously.
- A 2024 report prepared by civil and immigrant rights organizations identified detainees who said they were subject to vermin-infested food, prolonged solitary confinement and physical and sexual abuse.