While the country debates how to handle the ongoing migrant situation, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is moving ahead with an unexpected plan: building a new migrant detention center inside the infamous Angola state penitentiary in Louisiana.
This prison is known for being one of the largest—and most dangerous—maximum-security facilities in the U.S.
Angola Prison’s Dark History and Rodeo Fame
Angola Prison sits on 18,000 acres of land, mostly built from former slave plantations.
It’s a place with a grim reputation, often called “America’s bloodiest prison.”
Most inmates serve life sentences, with laws recently tightened to end parole and early release.
Prisoners work under brutal conditions, from farming to manual labor, often in extreme heat and for very little pay.
Yet Angola is also famous for something quite different—the Angola Prison Rodeo.
This wild event draws tens of thousands of visitors every year.
Inmates voluntarily take part in events like bull riding, bronco busting, and “convict poker,” where players try to keep their seats while a bull runs through the arena.
The rodeo is part spectacle, part punishment, and a controversial glimpse into life inside the prison walls.
Fast-Tracked Construction Raises Eyebrows
Governor Jeff Landry recently declared a state of emergency at Angola, aiming to add 400 beds quickly to deal with what he called an overflow of violent criminals.
But insiders say the real plan—backed by Noem and her advisor Corey Lewandowski—is to use those beds for migrants under the Trump administration’s crackdown.
The move involves reopening “Camp J,” a high-security part of the prison previously closed over safety issues.
Landry’s emergency order temporarily suspends normal rules to speed up repairs and construction, aiming for a September opening that might coincide with Angola’s famous rodeo and other local events.
Critics Sound the Alarm Over Conditions and Image
The idea of housing migrants in such a notorious prison has sparked serious concern.
Louisiana Democrats and human rights advocates warn that Angola’s harsh environment is no place for vulnerable migrants.
Some even liken the plan to dystopian scenarios, with one critic calling it “a Squid Games plot in the idiocracy universe.”
There are also worries about whether migrants might be expected to participate in the prison’s rodeo events—a notion that has drawn ridicule and fears about exploitation.
Noem’s Ambitions and Political Connections
Kristi Noem, sometimes nicknamed “ICE Barbie” for her high-profile approach to immigration enforcement, hopes to replicate the model of “Alligator Alcatraz”—a detention center quickly set up in Florida’s Everglades earlier this year.
That facility, built on a state of emergency basis, can house up to 3,000 migrants in tents and has been controversial for its cost and conditions.
Noem and Landry are longtime allies. Landry even held the Bible at Noem’s swearing-in as DHS secretary.
Corey Lewandowski, Noem’s senior advisor, has close ties to Landry as well, having worked on his gubernatorial campaign.
The Rodeo as a Backdrop for a Controversial Opening
There’s talk that the new detention center’s launch might coincide with Landry’s popular alligator hunt fundraiser or Angola’s October rodeo season.
Both are high-profile events that draw attention—and could serve as a flashy backdrop for this controversial project.
While the exact details about how migrants will be housed—and whether they’ll be involved in any prison events—remain unclear, the plan has already stirred up plenty of debate.
What Comes Next?
The plan to turn part of Angola Prison into a migrant detention center is a bold, controversial move that combines politics, tough immigration enforcement, and a prison system with a violent past.
As the opening date approaches, critics and supporters alike are watching closely to see how this gamble will play out.