WASHINGTON (WOWO): The Trump administration is moving forward with plans for a new facility in Louisiana that would temporarily hold migrant families and unaccompanied children as they await deportation flights.

The 528-bed facility is being built near Alexandria International Airport and is expected to serve as what Immigration and Customs Enforcement calls a “staging area,” where migrants would stay for up to 72 hours before being removed from the country.

Federal officials say the location will help streamline deportations by reducing transportation challenges, especially when moving children from shelters and foster care programs across the country to airports.

However, immigration advocates are raising concerns that children and families could remain at the facility much longer than planned. They argue the site represents a major expansion of the deportation system and are questioning the level of oversight.

The facility will be operated by the LaSalle Family Foundation, the nonprofit arm of private prison contractor LaSalle Corrections, rather than the federal agency that typically oversees shelters for unaccompanied migrant children.

Officials say the facility is intended for families who are voluntarily returning to their home countries, but critics say some migrants may make that decision under pressure or without fully understanding their options.

The site could begin operating as early as August and will be located near one of the nation’s busiest hubs for immigration enforcement flights.