ICE Targets Meta Site Under Construction in Rural Louisiana -- WSJ

Dow Jones01-15

By Gareth Vipers

Federal immigration agents targeted construction workers traveling to the site of a Meta Platforms data center being built in Louisiana, according to local law enforcement.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents conducted traffic stops on dump trucks on their way to the site Thursday, the Richland Parish Sheriff's Office said. Two drivers were arrested due to their immigration status, according to the sheriff's office. They were from Guatemala and Honduras.

Meta is building a $27 billion data center in Richland, a rural area in the northeast of the state, in a new joint venture with investment manager Blue Owl Capital.

ICE agents didn't enter the Meta site "at any time," the sheriff's office said.

Meta and the Department of Homeland Security didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

Immigration officers have targeted construction sites and manufacturing plants before as part of a wider crackdown by the Trump administration. In September, nearly 500 people were detained at a Hyundai Motor battery plant under construction in Georgia.

Write to Gareth Vipers at gareth.vipers@wsj.com

 

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

January 15, 2026 06:48 ET (11:48 GMT)

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