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Human Impact Project

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Detained immigrant women going hungry on expired, processed food at Louisiana ICE facility

Oct 23, 2025 · Richwood, LA

Detainees at the Richwood immigration detention facility in Louisiana report persistent hunger despite ICE and facility operator LaSalle Corrections claiming meals meet nutritional standards. Women describe small portions of processed, often expired foods that are undercooked, burned, or barely edible, with inadequate nutrition and lack of fresh produce. The facility switched to a lower-cost food distributor in 2025 as the detained population increased, and inspectors found the facility failed to post menus meeting required nutritional standards. Advocates and detainees, including former detainee Camila Muñoz, report deteriorating food quality and quantity, while ICE and LaSalle maintain compliance with national detention standards despite insufficient oversight of actual meals served versus certified menus.

Timeline

Oct 23, 2025USA TODAY investigation documents persistent hunger and inadequate nutrition despite ICE assurances of proper meals; advocates cite poor nutrition intensifying across Louisiana detention centers
Oct 19, 2025Detainees report going hungry on processed, expired foods in small portions; complaints about undercooked or burned meals increase
2025Richwood facility switched to lower-cost food distributor as detained population increased
2024Inspectors found Richwood ICE detention facility failed to post menus meeting required nutritional standards

Sources

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