Immigration Officers Target Meta Data Center, Detain Drivers

Federal immigration officers recently targeted a construction site in rural Louisiana, where Meta Platforms Inc. is developing its largest data center. This operation resulted in the arrest of two individuals, as reported by local law enforcement.

According to the Richland Parish Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) apprehended two individuals who were driving dump trucks en route to Meta’s construction site in Richland Parish, Louisiana. This information was shared in a Facebook post on Wednesday.

A witness, who preferred to remain anonymous, described how unmarked vehicles arrived at the perimeter of the construction site in Holly Ridge, a town within Richland Parish, earlier that day.

ICE’s involvement was prompted by a request from local law enforcement regarding undocumented workers, according to a source familiar with the situation who wished to remain unnamed to discuss the sensitive nature of the events.

The Richland Parish Sheriff’s Office confirmed to Bloomberg News that ICE agents were verifying the identification of workers heading to the construction site. The two individuals arrested were identified as being from Guatemala and Honduras, as stated by the sheriff’s office, which assisted with the traffic stops involving the dump trucks.

Importantly, the sheriff’s office clarified that ICE agents did not enter the Meta site “at any time.”

Meta has chosen not to comment on the situation. Additionally, the Department of Homeland Security, ICE, and Meta’s three general contractors—Turner Construction Company, DPR Construction, and Mortenson—did not respond to requests for comment.

Over the past year, the Trump administration has initiated a mass deportation campaign, aiming to execute the largest deportation effort in U.S. history. This campaign has specifically targeted construction sites and manufacturing plants, including a notable raid at a Hyundai Motor Co. electric vehicle battery plant in Georgia last September.

The operation has involved surges of federal agents in cities such as Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington D.C., New Orleans, and most recently Minneapolis, where a federal agent shot and killed a U.S. citizen during a confrontation earlier this month.

These enforcement sweeps have raised concerns among those involved in constructing data centers to support the rapidly evolving artificial intelligence sector. U.S.-based tech companies, including Meta, have committed to investing hundreds of billions of dollars in AI infrastructure over the coming years, leading to a surge in construction projects from the bayous of Louisiana to the plains of Texas.

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry has been a staunch supporter of the Trump administration’s immigration policies. In September, he joined Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to announce a partnership aimed at expanding ICE detention capacity in the state. In December, the Department of Homeland Security launched an enforcement operation dubbed “Catahoula Crunch,” targeting undocumented immigrants in New Orleans and other areas of Louisiana, which resulted in hundreds of arrests.

A spokesperson for Governor Landry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Copyright 2026 Bloomberg.

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Federal immigration officers recently targeted a construction site in rural Louisiana, where Meta Platforms Inc. is developing its largest data center. This operation resulted in the arrest of two individuals, as reported by local law enforcement.

According to the Richland Parish Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) apprehended two individuals who were driving dump trucks en route to Meta’s construction site in Richland Parish, Louisiana. This information was shared in a Facebook post on Wednesday.

A witness, who preferred to remain anonymous, described how unmarked vehicles arrived at the perimeter of the construction site in Holly Ridge, a town within Richland Parish, earlier that day.

ICE’s involvement was prompted by a request from local law enforcement regarding undocumented workers, according to a source familiar with the situation who wished to remain unnamed to discuss the sensitive nature of the events.

The Richland Parish Sheriff’s Office confirmed to Bloomberg News that ICE agents were verifying the identification of workers heading to the construction site. The two individuals arrested were identified as being from Guatemala and Honduras, as stated by the sheriff’s office, which assisted with the traffic stops involving the dump trucks.

Importantly, the sheriff’s office clarified that ICE agents did not enter the Meta site “at any time.”

Meta has chosen not to comment on the situation. Additionally, the Department of Homeland Security, ICE, and Meta’s three general contractors—Turner Construction Company, DPR Construction, and Mortenson—did not respond to requests for comment.

Over the past year, the Trump administration has initiated a mass deportation campaign, aiming to execute the largest deportation effort in U.S. history. This campaign has specifically targeted construction sites and manufacturing plants, including a notable raid at a Hyundai Motor Co. electric vehicle battery plant in Georgia last September.

The operation has involved surges of federal agents in cities such as Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington D.C., New Orleans, and most recently Minneapolis, where a federal agent shot and killed a U.S. citizen during a confrontation earlier this month.

These enforcement sweeps have raised concerns among those involved in constructing data centers to support the rapidly evolving artificial intelligence sector. U.S.-based tech companies, including Meta, have committed to investing hundreds of billions of dollars in AI infrastructure over the coming years, leading to a surge in construction projects from the bayous of Louisiana to the plains of Texas.

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry has been a staunch supporter of the Trump administration’s immigration policies. In September, he joined Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to announce a partnership aimed at expanding ICE detention capacity in the state. In December, the Department of Homeland Security launched an enforcement operation dubbed “Catahoula Crunch,” targeting undocumented immigrants in New Orleans and other areas of Louisiana, which resulted in hundreds of arrests.

A spokesperson for Governor Landry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Copyright 2026 Bloomberg.

Topics
Personal Auto