A Department of Homeland Security internal watchdog report finds serious problems at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in Louisiana, including prohibited use-of-force and concerns about detainee safety and sanitation. Multiple outlets report that investigators documented staff using an unlawful chokehold on a person held at the facility to “gain control” and stabbing another detainee’s hand with a pen during an incident. The New York Times and NBC News describe the pen stabbing occurring when an officer could not close a housing unit door. Other reporting characterizes the chokehold as being used to “gain compliance.”
The watchdog also identifies broader conditions beyond the use-of-force allegations, including safety and sanitation issues at the center. The Washington Times describes the facility as ICE’s largest in Louisiana and says the report flags violations tied to prohibited techniques. The Independent frames the findings as a rare detailed view into ICE operations amid wider scrutiny of conditions across the country. The outlets do not report details of disciplinary outcomes, but they agree that the inspector general’s findings highlight both conduct and facility condition failures.
