News from the South - Louisiana News Feed
Trump administration begins first detention flights to Guantanamo Bay • Louisiana Illuminator
Trump administration begins first detention flights to Guantanamo Bay
by Ariana Figueroa, Louisiana Illuminator
February 4, 2025
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration on Tuesday sent the first flight of detained migrants on military aircraft from the United States to the naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as President Donald Trump continues high-profile displays of his immigration crackdown.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem posted photos on social media of men in handcuffs and chains, being escorted by immigration officials dressed in tactical military gear.
“Guantanamo Bay will hold the worst of the worst,” Noem wrote. “That starts today.”
Trump announced last week that he would direct the Defense Department to use the migrant detention center on the base to detain up to 30,000 people who lack U.S. legal status. It would nearly double the current bed space that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has funding for across the nation, which is roughly 41,500.
More than 150 U.S. Marines and U.S. Army members started arriving at the base over the weekend, the U.S. Southern Command Public Affairs Office said in a press release. More than 300 military personnel are already stationed at the base.
The base is known for holding suspects accused of terrorism in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Advocates have pressed for the base to be shut down, citing human rights violations.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt also confirmed flights were taking place Tuesday during a segment on Fox Business.
“The first flights from the United States to Guantanamo Bay with illegal migrants are underway,” she said, adding that the president is “not messing around.”
During a Sunday interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Noem was asked if women, children and families would be detained at Guantanamo Bay, but Noem would not address the question.
“You know, if you look at what we are doing today of targeting the worst of the worst, we’ve been very clear on that,” Noem said during the interview. “The priority of this president is to go after criminal aliens that are making our streets more dangerous.”
While Guantanamo Bay has been used in the past to detain migrants, it’s usually been to intercept refugees fleeing from Cuba and Haiti during the 1990s, not used to transport people from within the U.S.
The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to States Newsroom’s request on where the flights departed from or how many detained migrants were on board the C-17 military jet, and if they had a criminal status.
Last updated 4:36 p.m., Feb. 4, 2025
Louisiana Illuminator is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Louisiana Illuminator maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Greg LaRose for questions: info@lailluminator.com.
News from the South - Louisiana News Feed
Leaders of ‘Better Louisiana’ civic group will focus on education, insurance crisis • Louisiana Illuminator
Leaders of ‘Better Louisiana’ civic group will focus on education, insurance crisis
by Julie O’Donoghue, Louisiana Illuminator
February 11, 2025
A new civic organization, Leaders for a Better Louisiana, will focus on education, the property insurance crisis and economic development in the upcoming legislative session that starts in April.
The Committee of 100 for Louisiana, founded in 1992, and the Council for a Better Louisiana (CABL), which originated in 1962, have combined to become Leaders for a Better Louisiana – or Better Louisiana for short.
Committee of 100’s former leader Adam Knapp transitioned to be Better Louisiana’s CEO and CABL’s former executive director, Barry Erwin, is the organization’s chief policy officer. They spoke at the Baton Rouge Press Club Monday.
The state has made gains in education policy, but Erwin said young children entering kindergarten are behind students starting school in other states. Better Louisiana will stress that the state needs to continue to invest in early childhood education in order to improve kindergartners readiness.
He noted the state is trending in the right direction when it comes to third-grade reading proficiency rates, high school graduation rates and high school students earning industry credentials or college credits.
Knapp said the state’s economic development agency also needs work, even though Better Louisiana has already seen improvements under Gov. Jeff Landry.
Better Louisiana will push the state to invest more in site development, with the state building out infrastructure for specific properties where they hope to attract business. Other states have done a lot more site development than Louisiana has in recent years, Knapp said.
Knapp also said Better Louisiana hopes to start shaping the state’s insurance crisis as an economic development issue. Business and industry leaders said the high rates of insurance are making it more difficult to attract projects to Louisiana.
The new organization will also push legislators and Landry to pass new laws to bring down insurance rates. It is supportive of Republican Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple’s approach, which has been supported by insurance companies.
Knapp and Erwin said Better Louisiana will also pay attention to government accountability and transparency policies, which had previously been a focus of CABL. These include law changes that could weaken the state’s ethics laws or the public ability to inspect government operations.
GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.
Louisiana Illuminator is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Louisiana Illuminator maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Greg LaRose for questions: info@lailluminator.com.
News from the South - Louisiana News Feed
Shreveport City Council discusses litter, billing errors | Louisiana
SUMMARY: The Shreveport City Council discussed resident concerns at a recent meeting, focusing on litter along Interstate 20. Council Chairwoman Tabatha Taylor emphasized efforts to beautify the city. The Louisiana Department of Transportation is addressing litter; a contract for cleanup begins in February. Residents also raised issues of squatters and a billing error affecting 75 residents in Squirrel Point due to a system glitch, resulting in increased sewer rates. The council plans to review this situation to alleviate financial burdens. City Attorney Edwards confirmed ongoing efforts to tackle squatter and vandalism problems in affected neighborhoods.
The post Shreveport City Council discusses litter, billing errors | Louisiana appeared first on www.thecentersquare.com
News from the South - Louisiana News Feed
NBC 10 News Today: Louisiana to resume executions
SUMMARY: Governor Landry announced that Louisiana will resume executions of death row inmates following the finalization of a new protocol by the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, which includes using a gas mask to pump nitrogen into convicts’ lungs. This decision has sparked debate, with proponents asserting it serves justice for victims of heinous crimes, while opponents, like Baton Rouge resident Megan King, argue against the death penalty based on ethical and religious beliefs. State Senator Caleb Klein Peter and Attorney General Liz Morell support the resumption, emphasizing the need for justice, while some advocate for forgiveness and alternative views on life.

NBC 10 News Today: Louisiana to resume executions
-
News from the South - South Carolina News Feed5 days ago
32-home development in Horry Co. halted after community outcry
-
Mississippi Today6 days ago
‘This is a stupid bill’: Mississippi House advances DEI ban
-
Mississippi Today4 days ago
Mississippi parents, owed $1.7 billion in child support, could collect gambling winnings
-
News from the South - Arkansas News Feed7 days ago
Arkansas school districts close due to illness
-
Mississippi Today6 days ago
Black women in the Delta with cervical cancer more likely to die because of health system failures
-
News from the South - Alabama News Feed7 days ago
News 5 Now at 8 | Feb. 5, 2025
-
News from the South - North Carolina News Feed3 days ago
Losing state Supreme Court candidate Jefferson Griffin’s legal case to overturn 2024 election results hits obstacle • Asheville Watchdog
-
News from the South - Texas News Feed5 days ago
How did a Texas man spend almost 50 years on death row without being executed?