By John Summers | WBR Independent | March 4, 2026
PORT ALLEN — U.S. Rep. Cleo Fields says he “strongly oppose[s]” any federal detention facility in his district, joining a growing wave of elected officials and residents pushing back against reports that the federal government is considering a warehouse on Commercial Drive in West Baton Rouge Parish for immigration detention.
In a February 20 statement to WBR Independent, Fields said he had been notified of the potential facility and was seeking answers.
“This week, I was notified of a report about a potential ICE detention center being built in Port Allen, Louisiana,” Fields said. “While I have not received any official details from the Department of Homeland Security on the matter, I strongly oppose any such facility being established within District 6 and have been in contact with DHS for more information.”
Fields said his office had initiated contact with DHS “requesting any and all information around the plans for a potential detention center in Port Allen.” He said his office had not received any correspondence from ICE or DHS indicating plans to establish a detention center in the parish. As of publication, Fields’ office has not provided any further updates.
The statement marked the first time a federal elected official went on record opposing the proposed facility.
Port Allen Drafting Formal Letter
At a town hall meeting on February 25, City Attorney Casey Hollins recommended that the mayor and city council draft a formal letter addressed to the parish’s congressional delegation stating the city’s opposition, and post it publicly.
“It needs to be a formal letter from the mayor, all council who are in favor and agree with it, sign on and sent to your delegates,” Hollins told attendees. “And then you post it everywhere.”
Mayor Terecita Pattan indicated she supported the effort.
“I have no problem submitting a letter from my office,” Pattan said. “I can only speak for myself.”
No requests related to a detention facility have come through the City of Port Allen, Pattan said, adding that the property in question is located outside city limits under parish jurisdiction.
Residents from Two Parishes Address Council
Two days later, at the February 26 Parish Council meeting, seven residents — including four from neighboring East Baton Rouge Parish — used public comment to urge parish leaders to oppose the facility.
Chris Perry, a West Baton Rouge resident who has spoken at multiple public meetings on the issue, warned the council that communities who have successfully blocked similar facilities did so through vocal, organized opposition.
“Every place they’ve gone in, they’ve had nothing going on, and all of a sudden it’s there,” Perry told the council. “If we don’t want to have an ICE detention center on Commercial Drive, then we need to get the word out.”
Hannah Honore, a 28-year-old Port Allen native and mother of three, told both the town hall and the parish council that the proposed facility would change the character of the community she grew up in.
“If you’re on I-10, you can literally see that building as you’re driving by,” Honore said. “In my mind, I’m picturing if this were to come to fruition, there’s people in there, and we’re just going about our day. That’s not how I want to live.”
Lisa Honore, a West Baton Rouge resident, called for transparency from parish leadership. “I’ve read news articles that these things just happen, and the federal government just skirts local authorities and does what they want to do,” she said. “I want all of you to be on top of this to keep us informed.”
Jessica Converse, an East Baton Rouge resident and Navy veteran who said she represents workers through a labor organization, referenced the history of internment in the United States.
“If you’re going to be complicit in all of our liberties being ripped away from us, then you’re complicit in crimes against humanity, against the Constitution, against your neighbor,” Converse said.
Additional speakers included Marian Pickett, Lisa King, and Ryan Baumann — all East Baton Rouge residents who said they came as concerned neighbors.
Manola: No New Contact from ICE
Parish President Jason Manola reiterated at the February 26 meeting that he has spoken with an ICE official from the New Orleans office and expressed his concerns about the location — noting it is adjacent to the parish Convention and Visitors Bureau, several motels, and the Logger Lane residential development.
“Since our last meeting, we have not had a single contact from anybody else in regards to that,” Manola said. “I just want to reiterate — for total transparency.”
Manola has previously said the parish received no formal notification from ICE about the facility. He said he wants to speak directly with ICE officials and is seeking additional information.
Grassroots Organizing Underway
On Sunday, members of Indivisible Baton Rouge canvassed neighborhoods surrounding the proposed facility site, going door to door in Westside Village to inform residents about the potential detention center.
Perry told attendees at the Port Allen town hall that she has begun reaching out to local clergy and businesses about the proposed facility. She said she spoke with Father Jerry, who she said is opposed to the center, and has visited other churches to build a coalition.
“The only way they’re stopping it elsewhere is by protesting and letting it be known that they don’t want it,” Perry said.
Perry said she is having signs made and is looking for volunteers to help spread awareness. She said many residents she speaks with are unaware of the situation or believe it has been resolved based on the parish’s earlier public statements.
“My concern is that by the time we get absolute proof, we’re going to have ICE agents walking around,” Perry said. “We’ve got to figure out a way to be on alert so we can move fast.”
Gary Hubble, who chairs the West Baton Rouge Parish Convention and Visitors Bureau, raised concerns about the economic impact at the town hall, noting that the bureau’s budget comes entirely from hotel-motel tax revenue.
“If we have those hotels over there, those people that are staying there are not going to want to look at that,” Hubble said. He added that hotel operators he spoke with “were appalled” when they learned about the proposal.
Federal Oversight Questions
Fields noted that detention facilities must meet the 2025 National Detention Standards and that a federal court in Washington, D.C. recently ordered DHS and ICE to restore congressional oversight of detention facilities.
Asked whether he would support a congressional site visit — similar to the delegation U.S. Rep. Troy Carter led to Louisiana ICE facilities last year — Fields said that if detention center plans “come to fruition, it would be a top priority of mine to ensure that all regulations, specifically as it concerns facility conditions, are met.”
Louisiana already holds more ICE detainees than any other state except Texas.
Fields encouraged residents with concerns to contact his office directly.
WBR Independent has filed public records requests related to this matter and will continue reporting as information becomes available.
Residents who wish to contact Congressman Fields’ Baton Rouge office can call (225) 952-1965 or visit his office at 700 North 10th Street, Fourth Floor, Baton Rouge, LA 70802.
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