President Donald Trump's administration is preparing to open a new Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Alexandria, Louisiana, which seeks to expedite the deportation of migrant families and unaccompanied minors through a center located next to the Alexandria International Airport.

Although the government insists that the complex will function as a “staging zone” and not a detention center, immigrant rights organizations warn that the project could significantly expand deportation capacity and increase the time that children and families remain in federal custody, AP reported.

A facility to accelerate deportations

The new complex will have capacity for 528 people and will function as a transit center for up to 72 hours, where families and minors will stay before boarding deportation flights.

The location responds to the logistical problems that the government faced in previous operations, when immigrant minors were transferred from different states to airports without having adequate space to stay before leaving the country.

According to documents obtained by the aforementioned agency, the center will be under the legal custody of ICE, although the agency instructed contractors to avoid terms such as “prisoners,” “detainees,” or “inmates” to refer to the people housed there.

The impact on immigrant children is worrying

The project has raised concern among organizations that defend the rights of migrant children, which consider that the new model modifies the way in which minors who arrive alone in the United States are traditionally cared for.

"This is an unprecedented expansion of the deportation system. There are so many things that could go wrong with this facility," warned Leecia Welch, senior legal counsel for Children's Rights.

The administration maintains that the facilities will be primarily intended for families who agree to voluntarily return to their home countries. However, immigrant advocates say many of those decisions can be made under pressure or without full knowledge of available legal alternatives.

The operation of the center will be carried out by a non-profit subsidiary linked to LaSalle Corrections, a private company that manages several immigration detention centers in the south of the country.

According to the AP, two deaths of people detained at an ICE facility run by LaSalle have been recorded since April, while an inspection by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Inspector General found deficiencies in areas such as health care, security, use of force and food services.

If it becomes operational in August, as local authorities anticipate, the Alexandria center could become a key piece of the Trump administration's immigration strategy to accelerate the deportations of families and minors.

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