ICE Detains Two Truck Drivers En Route to Meta’s Data Center in Louisiana
In a recent development highlighting the intersection of immigration enforcement and large-scale tech projects, two truck drivers were detained near a Meta construction site in Louisiana. The incident occurred during a routine traffic inspection, where US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials took action based on the drivers’ immigration statuses.
The Richland Parish Sheriff’s Office reported that the two drivers, hailing from Guatemala and Honduras, were on their way to the Hyperion Data Center when they were stopped. The Sheriff’s Office clarified, “ICE did not enter the Meta site at any time.”
According to a statement from the Department of Homeland Security, ICE agents were conducting a “targeted operation” to arrest the Honduran driver and happened upon the Guatemalan driver, resulting in both being taken into custody.
Meta has chosen not to comment on this incident.
This event touches on broader concerns for companies about preparing workers for potential ICE encounters. The Meta project, which is part of a larger initiative to expand AI computing capacity, is one of several multi-gigawatt data centers that Meta is developing.
The arrests also coincide with increased ICE activities across the United States, which have sparked resistance in certain states. Louisiana, under Governor Jeff Landry, supports ICE operations and currently receives substantial funds for housing detainees, as reported by Axios.
Note: This article was updated with comments from a DHS spokesperson as of January 15, 11:25 p.m. E.T.
