Full Breakdown
ICE Detention Center Oversight in Louisiana: Use-of-Force Findings and Congressional Scrutiny
6/4/2026, 11:10:53 PM
Findings at Winn Correctional Center
A DHS inspector-general report documented two use-of-force incidents at the privately run Winn Correctional Center ICE facility in central Louisiana: a prohibited chokehold on one detainee and a pen-stabbing of another when a door jammed. The report also noted leaking vents, falling insulation, improvised water collection, missing equipment, record-keeping errors and a privacy breach. The officer was disciplined.
Background and Context
ICE detains over 60,000 people nationwide; Winn holds about 1,500 men, 70 % classified as low-risk. Opened in 1990 and taken over by ICE in 2019, the center—located about an hour north of Alexandria, a hub for ICE deportation flights—was inspected unannounced as DHS, after a $20 million infusion, expands inspections from four-to-six to up to 60 annually.
Key Figures and Stakeholders
- Markwayne Mullin (Secretary of Homeland Security)
- DHS Inspector-General
- ICE spokesperson
- Rep. Tim Kennedy (D-NY)
- Rep. Wesley Bell (R-MO)
- Boanerges Flores-Bravo (detained at Richwood)
Data and Statistics
Official Statements & Agency Responses
The DHS spokesperson said Winn “complies with detention standards” and that ICE “has higher detention standards than most U.S. prisons that hold actual U.S. citizens.” ICE said it will address the nine recommendations through staff training. Secretary Mullin defended agency standards before Congress, rejecting claims of inadequate food or medical care.
Criticism & Opposition
Rep. Tim Kennedy accused Secretary Mullin of leaving detainees without food or medical care, calling the conditions “unacceptable.” Rep. Wesley Bell called his constituent’s detention a “kidnapping” and said ICE “operates in the shadows,” lacking criminal-defendant transparency.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The DHS claim of compliance conflicts with the inspector-general’s findings of prohibited chokeholds and sanitation failures. The report notes disciplinary action for one officer but provides no follow-up on systemic reforms, and no independent verification of ICE’s claim that its standards exceed those of U.S. prisons.
Verbatim Quotes
- “You can say all you want, but don’t accuse me of something that’s not accurate,” — Markwayne Mullin, Secretary of Homeland Security
- “ICE has higher detention standards than most U.S. prisons that hold actual U.S. citizens,” — DHS spokesperson
- “We are at the airport heading to Monroe, Louisiana because one of our constituents was taken, kidnapped by ICE,” — Rep. Wesley Bell, U.S. Representative
- “And unlike someone charged with a serious crime like murder, who would have access to an attorney, who would have access to a court, and we would know where they were, ICE operates in the shadows.” — Rep. Wesley Bell
What’s Next
The DHS inspector-general will expand inspections to up to 60 visits annually. ICE intends to implement the nine recommendations and broaden staff training. Congressional oversight may rise as Rep. Bell’s visit and Rep. Kennedy’s criticisms spur further inquiries into Louisiana ICE detention practices.
