Family and advocates of detainees at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center in Basile say conditions inside the facility are concerning.
“I’m an American citizen who’s married to an immigrant, who’s in love with an immigrant, and I’m fighting to save her life,” said James Szumowski, a resident of New York.
Szumowski says his wife, Svetlana Sinotova, arrived to the United States on a tourist visa and applied for political asylum after protesting the Russian government.
Though she’s lived in the United States for years, Szumowski says Svetlana was detained in New York in June, placed in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody, and eventually transferred to the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center.
“I’m just looking to get her out of there as fast possible and to also tell about the hardships she’s been through, as well as the horrific conditions that are going on inside South Louisiana ICE Processing Center,” said Szumowski.
He says his wife suffers from health conditions, including a seizure disorder, and has been unable to access the nasal spray Nayzilam while in detention, despite providing KATC a copy of a letter of medical necessity issued by her neurologist.
KATC reached out to ICE regarding medical care at the detention center. An ICE spokesperson issued the following statement:
“Any claims that there is inadequate medical care at South Louisiana ICE Processing Center are false.
“All detainees are provided with 3 meals a day, clean water, clothing, bedding, showers, soap, and toiletries. Illegal aliens also have access to phones to communicate with their family members and lawyers. Certified dieticians evaluate meals. In fact, ICE has higher detention standards than most U.S. prisons that hold actual U.S. citizens.
“It is a longstanding practice to provide comprehensive medical care from the moment an alien enters ICE custody. This includes medical, dental, and mental health services as available, and access to medical appointments and 24-hour emergency care. For many illegal aliens this is the best healthcare they have received their entire lives."
“Being in detention is a choice. We encourage all illegal aliens to take control of their departure with the CBP Home App. The United States is offering illegal aliens $2,600 and a free flight to self-deport now. We encourage every person here illegally to take advantage of this offer and reserve the chance to come back to the U.S. the right legal way to live the American dream. If not, you will be arrested and deported without a chance to return.”
“That response from ICE is consistent with what they’ve been saying for years and it’s part of their culture of total impunity for these abuses,” said Sarah Decker, senior staff attorney with the Robert & Ethel Kennedy Human Rights Center.
“Being in detention is never a choice,” added Decker, who is not involved in Sinotova’s case.
“These people have a legal right to access the asylum system. Many of our clients face persecution, torture, or death in their home countries. So there is no choice. The idea that they can simply self-deport is a fallacy,” Decker said.
In September 2025, the Robert & Ethel Kennedy Human Rights Center (formerly known as Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights), along with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Louisiana and other organizations , addressed a letter to the Department of Homeland Security accusing officials at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center of “sexual, physical, and verbal abuse, retaliation, abusive implementation of solitary confinement, and medical neglect”. The letter concluded by requesting “an immediate investigation into the abuses”.
“We consistently hear reports of rotten and inedible food, non-potable drinking water,” said Decker. “The conditions of the facility in terms of sanitation are very poor and so naturally that can, of course, create and exacerbate health problems for people who are detained."
An immigration judge ordered removal for Sinotova on February 5, 2025. An appeal of the decision was received on February 21, 2025. That appeal is pending.
“Immigrants should not have to be worried about having an appeal that’s pending and being carted off,” said Szumowski.
The detention center in Basile is owned and operated by the private company The GEO Group. KATC reached out to The GEO Group with questions regarding medical care at the Basile detention center. A spokesperson for The Geo Group issued the following statement.
"As required by the contract and ICE’s detention standards, at locations where GEO provides health care services, individuals are provided with access to teams of medical professionals including physicians, nurses, dentists, psychologists, and psychiatrists. Ready access to off-site medical specialists, imaging facilities, Emergency Medical Services, and local community hospitals is also provided when needed.
While GEO’s health care service capabilities cover a wide range of services and treatments, at times we may utilize Emergency Medical Services to address medical needs, as necessary.
In addition to around-the-clock access to medical care, the support services GEO provides include around-the-clock access to medical care, in-person and virtual legal and family visitation, general and legal library access, translation services, dietician-approved meals, religious and specialty diets, recreational amenities, and opportunities to practice their religious beliefs. Additionally, all of GEO’s ICE Processing Centers are independently accredited by the American Correctional Association and the National Commission on Correctional Health Care.
In all instances, our support services are subject to regular internal and external review to ensure compliance with applicable standards within the Department of Homeland Security to ensure compliance with both current and updated detention standards and contract requirements regarding the treatment and services ICE detainees receive. In the event issues are identified or updates are implemented, corrective actions are promptly implemented through established corrective action processes as required by ICE’s Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan.
As a service provider to the federal government, we are proud of the role our company has played for 40 years to support the law enforcement mission of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Over the last four decades, our innovative support service solutions have helped the federal government implement the policies of seven different Presidential Administrations.”
An Office of Professional Responsibility report showed the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center was inspected in March. It notes that some detainees expressed dissatisfaction with the facility’s medical services and food. Yet, found that medical services were adequate.
It also stated the facility "did not maintain cleanliness and good repair of all surfaces, fixtures, and equipment", noting green substances on the floor and walls.
The report concluded by giving the facility an overall rating of Superior.
KATC reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for more information about the rating system, including how each rating is determined. In lieu of answering the specific questions, an ICE spokesperson issued the following statement:
“ICE is regularly audited and inspected by external agencies to ensure that all ICE facilities comply with performance-based national detention standards. All detainees are provided with proper meals, quality water, blankets, medical treatment, and have opportunities to communicate with their family members and lawyers. ICE has higher detention standards than most U.S. prisons that hold actual U.S. citizens.
“It is a longstanding practice to provide comprehensive medical care from the moment an alien enters ICE custody. This includes medical, dental, and mental health services as available, and access to medical appointments and 24-hour emergency care. For many illegal aliens this is the best healthcare they have received their entire lives.”
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