July 6, 2026
The Trump administration plans to open a 528-bed holding center for migrant families and unaccompanied children awaiting removal from the U.S., putting it next to a Louisiana airfield that has become the nation’s largest hub of deportation flights.
NEW ORLEANS — The Trump administration plans to open a 528-bed holding facility for migrant families and unaccompanied children next to an airport hub, positioning itself to speed up deportations.
The location in Alexandria, Louisiana, would remove logistical headaches caused by wrangling children from foster homes and shelters across the country and not having anywhere to put them during final preparations for flight. Those obstacles were apparent last year when Guatemalan children were awoken at night and given almost no time to get to Harlingen, Texas, where they waited on an airport tarmac for hours.