ANGOLA — Nineteen people detained at a federal immigration detention center housed within Louisiana’s Angola prison have entered their fifth day on hunger strike, according to immigrant rights groups. The Louisiana Dept. of Public Safety & Corrections released a statement contradicting it adding that they were not advised until Sept. 21 that 17 detainees were refusing to eat a meal. At this time, the state added that only three of the 17 still refuse to eat.
The Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing center, set up in the former Camp J unit of the Louisiana State Penitentiary, was reopened earlier this month under the Trump administration as part of an expansion of immigration detention in the state.
Demands for Care and Basic Necessities
Advocates say the detainees are demanding access to medical and mental health care, including prescription medications, as well as basic necessities such as toilet paper, hygiene products, and clean drinking water.
“This is a crisis of dignity and survival,” the Southeast Dignity Not Detention Coalition said in a statement. “The real emergency is what’s happening inside: people are being denied life-saving medication, and some may die as a result. These hunger strikers are bravely speaking out, risking retaliation from Camp J guards and putting their own lives on the line to ensure those around them receive the medical care they need.”
The state also responded to hygiene and medical treatment: “These allegations are false. All detainees receive prompt medical attention upon intake and as needed throughout their detention. This includes initial health screenings and access to necessary medical care and medication for any ongoing health issues. Additionally, detainees were provided with hygiene items to maintain personal cleanliness and health. These items are also issued as needed.”
The state added that as of 8 a.m. on Sept. 22, crews made rounds at Angola and “found no issues
surrounding plumbing.”
“At this time, DPS&C can confirm that one ICE detainee, did intentionally flood his cell on the morning of
September 21, which was quickly remediated by unclogging the pipe chase in Independence 4 unit.”
Lack of Required Services
The detainees are also calling for ICE officers to visit the facility so they can raise concerns directly, according to the National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild. In addition, they are seeking access to services that federal detention standards require, such as a law library and religious programming, both of which advocates say are absent at the site.
MORE: Louisiana Lockup: Angola to house ‘worst of the worst’ in new ICE detention facility
Troubled History of Camp J
Camp J, the unit of Angola prison now holding immigration detainees, carries a long and controversial history. Once notorious for abusive and degrading conditions, it was permanently closed in 2018 after being deemed unfit even for Louisiana’s own prisoners. The facility briefly reopened in 2020 to house pre-trial detainees during the Covid-19 pandemic, a move that sparked additional criticism.
Now rebranded by the Trump administration as the “Louisiana Lockup” and at times called “Camp 57” in reference to Governor Jeff Landry, the state’s 57th governor, the unit is again under fire from advocates.
“The same culture of violence and neglect that got Camp J shut down is still there,” said the Southeast Dignity Not Detention Coalition (SEDND). “Placing immigrant detainees in this facility—people who are seeking safety, not punishment—is a profound moral failure.”
Angola Prison | Louisiana’s Expanding Role in Immigration Detention
Built in 1901 on the site of former slave plantations, including one named “Angola,” the prison has a long history of inmate labor. Prisoners were made to farm cotton, corn, and livestock, and the facility developed a reputation for harsh conditions, earning the nickname “the bloodiest in the South.” One of the most infamous protests came in 1951, when more than 30 men cut their own Achilles tendons to avoid being sent back into the fields.
Louisiana now holds one of the largest populations of detained immigrants in the country, second only to Texas. The small regional airport in Alexandria has become a major departure point for deportation flights during Trump’s second presidency.
The hunger strike at Angola comes two months after Gov. Jeff Landry declared a state of emergency, citing insufficient space to house offenders. Critics say using Angola for immigrant detention adds to already difficult conditions at a facility that has faced longstanding scrutiny.
Call for Action
NIPNLG and SEDND are calling for immediate action: meeting the hunger strikers’ demands, releasing those held at Camp J, and increasing transparency around ICE’s operations in Louisiana.
“We will continue to demand accountability until every person detained there has their basic human rights restored.”
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