In brief
The ACLU has filed a lawsuit challenging the detention of immigrants at Louisiana State Penitentiary. The suit claims the facility's harsh conditions violate the Double Jeopardy clause, as detainees are being punished for crimes they have already served time for. Furthermore, the lawsuit stresses that immigration detention should not serve punitive purposes. The complex, known for its brutal history, reportedly leaves detainees without basic necessities.
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — The immigration detainees sent to a notorious Louisiana prison last month are being punished for crimes for which they have already served time, the American Civil Liberties Union said in a lawsuit challenging the government’s decision to hold what it calls the worst of the worst there.
The lawsuit accuses President Donald Trump’s administration of selecting the former slave plantation known as Angola for its uniquely horrifying history and intentionally subjecting immigrant detainees to inhumane conditions — including foul water and lacking basic necessities — in violation of the Double Jeopardy clause, which protects people from being punished twice for the same crime.
The ACLU also alleges some immigrants detained at the newly opened Louisiana Lockup should be released because the government failed to deport them within six months of a removal order. The lawsuit cites a 2001 Supreme Court ruling that immigration detention should be nonpunitive.
“The anti-immigrant campaign under the guise of 'Making America Safe Again' does not outweigh or justify indefinite detention in ‘America’s Bloodiest Prison’ without any rights afforded to criminal defendants,” ACLU attorneys argue.
The lawsuit comes amid ongoing legal battles surrounding the ICE's detention facilities, which have faced intense scrutiny. Last month, officials announced that the closed Louisiana State Penitentiary would be repurposed to house up to 400 immigrants. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem praised the facility for targeting those alleged to pose the most danger.
Many detainees have already expressed their grievances by going on hunger strikes to demand medical care and basic necessities, as conditions reportedly include moldy environments and contaminated water. The ACLU is advocating for improved treatment and legal recognition of the rights of these detainees, emphasizing that punitive measures within immigration detention are unconstitutional.
