The Majority Report with Sam Seder 3526 - Horrors Inside an ICE Detention Center, Blue Bottle Unionizes w/ Alex Sammon and Blue Bottle Union Reps
Jun 26, 2025
Alex Sammon, a features writer at Slate, investigates the disturbing history of an ICE detention center in Jenna, Louisiana, exposing its economic impact on small towns. BB Young, a former Blue Bottle barista, recounts the challenges of organizing a union at the coffee chain against corporate giants like Nestlé. Together, they discuss the struggles of documenting immigrant detention in tight-knit communities and the fight for better working conditions, shedding light on the human costs behind both issues.
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Gina's Prison Origins and Scandals
- Central Louisiana town Gina transformed economically by building a juvenile detention center after oil and timber busts in the 1980s.
- The facility quickly became scandal-plagued with abuse allegations and private prison companies eventually shut it down.
Prison to ICE Detention Center
- The old prison was expanded and repurposed as an ICE detention center starting in 2008.
- ICE detention grew dramatically in Louisiana following the Trump administration's immigration policies.
Gina’s Fearful Silence on Detention
- The town of Gina reacts to the detention center with fear and silence, avoiding public discussion of the facility.
- The local police and officials were combative or uncooperative with journalists investigating the prison.
