ICE Plans Detention Center at PFAS-Contaminated England Airpark in Louisiana

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is moving ahead with a short-term detention center for migrant families and unaccompanied children at England Airpark, a former Air Force Base in Louisiana. The plan calls for housing detainees for three to five days in converted barracks adjacent to a runway used for deportation flights. Project officials say a lease could be finalized within weeks, allowing the facility to become operational in 60-90 days.

The Guardian

England Airpark is among the nation’s most PFAS-polluted sites. Groundwater testing found PFAS at 41 million ppt—about 575,000 times the federal drinking-water limit of 4-10 ppt. The plume originates from use of aqueous film-forming foam in firefighting drills and from burn pits that incinerated waste and munitions. Other hazards include trichloroethylene, VOCs, and asbestos in the barracks. The Department of Homeland Security said it had no new detention centers to announce. The Defense Department is phasing out PFAS foam at over 770 bases but has not begun cleanup at England Airpark. EPA and ICE declined comment.

The Guardian

PFAS are “forever chemicals” linked to cancers, kidney and liver disease, immune disorders, and birth defects. Children are vulnerable because of smaller bodies and developing systems. The site’s industrial zoning means remediation standards are lower than for residential land, raising concerns about groundwater, soil, dust, and air exposure. Immigrant-rights groups argue the “self-deport” premise is misleading, noting many participants are involuntary and may stay longer than the three-to-five-day limit. Environmental advocates point to the absence of cleanup and testing.

ICE Plans Family Detention at Toxic Louisiana Air Force Base

A spokesperson for England Airpark says PFAS contamination does not affect the barracks, yet no independent soil or air testing has been released. Federal records show no active cleanup, and the plume’s boundary remains undefined. The EPA and ICE declined comment when asked for details.

The Guardian

Advocacy groups plan challenges while monitoring the lease. The Defense Department’s remedial investigation continues, and any future cleanup could affect the center’s feasibility. ICE’s timeline suggests the facility could open within three months unless halted by litigation or regulatory action.

ICE Plans Family Detention at Toxic Louisiana Air Force Base

• “There shouldn’t be housing at contaminated bases and we need to be cleaning up this stuff much faster if we’re going to put people in harm’s way,” — Jared Hayes, Senior Policy Analyst, Environmental Working Group

The Guardian

• “The risk for people living on site is in the dust and in the air, and we don’t know what levels are in the dust, or if the kids are playing outside – these can be areas of concern,” — Jared Hayes, Environmental Working Group

The Guardian

• “There’s always a way to undo it,” — Frances Kelly, Louisiana Advocates for Immigrants in Detention

The Guardian

• “We have no new detention centers to announce at this time.” — Department of Homeland Security spokesperson

The Guardian