Internal DHS Report Noted Use of Excessive Force, Unsanitary Conditions at ICE Detention Center in Louisiana

An internal review by the Department of Homeland Security found troubling conditions at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Louisiana, where staff members allegedly used a prohibited chokehold "to gain control" of a detainee and stabbed another detainee in the hand with a pen, among other violations.

As reported by NBC News, the findings stem from a surprise inspection by the DHS Office of Inspector General, which reviewed video footage of the incidents. In its report, the watchdog said staff failed to maintain safe and sanitary conditions, citing leaking vents and ceilings with falling insulation. Investigators also found staff using napkins and Styrofoam containers to collect water from the leaks.

The detention center, Winn Correctional Center in central Louisiana, has faced longstanding scrutiny over the safety and welfare of detainees held there. In April, a Mexican national was found unresponsive in his cell and later pronounced dead at a local medical facility. At the time, he was the 47th person to die in immigration custody since President Donald Trump took office in January 2025. That number has risen to 49 deaths as of June 2026.

The report included nine recommendations for facility staff, ranging from environmental health concerns to use-of-force practices. An ICE spokesperson said the agency is working to address the issues, while a DHS spokesperson said the findings demonstrate the facility's compliance with detention standards despite the reported excessive-force incidents.

"ICE has higher detention standards than most U.S. prisons that hold actual U.S. citizens," the DHS spokesperson said.

Winn Correctional Center is owned by the Winn Parish Sheriff's Office and operated by private contractor LaSalle Corrections. At the time of the inspection, ICE housed 1,576 male detainees at the facility, according to the report.

The report followed an unannounced inspection by the DHS inspector general, whose office recently received an additional $20 million in funding and plans to increase inspections from four to six annually to as many as 40 to 60, NBC News reported.

U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal released a statement criticizing DHS, saying the report reflects "what we have heard from detained immigrants across the country." She said ICE detention centers continue to violate standards, putting detainees' health and safety at risk.

"DHS must immediately withdraw funding from the numerous detention centers that consistently do not meet the minimum required standards for housing immigrant detainees," Jayapal wrote. "For those that remain, DHS must require facilities to take immediate corrective action and engage in serious oversight of these for-profit prison operators who are prioritizing their cash coffers over meeting basic health and safety standards."