Two truck drivers were arrested Wednesday near the site of Meta’s massive Hyperion Data Center in Richland Parish, Louisiana, U.S. authorities confirmed. The drivers, traveling in vehicles headed to the construction site, were detained during a traffic stop inspection.
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"During those stops, two drivers were arrested by ICE due to their immigration status," the Richland Parish Sheriff’s Office said. The individuals are from Guatemala and Honduras.
"ICE did not enter the Meta site at any time," the sheriff’s office emphasized.
The Department of Homeland Security also confirmed that the operation did not target Meta directly. A DHS spokesperson said, "ICE agents carried out a targeted operation to arrest the truck driver from Honduras, and encountered another driver from Guatemala. Both are now in ICE custody."
Meta declined to comment on the arrests.
The Hyperion project is part of Meta’s expansion of multi-gigawatt data centers aimed at boosting AI computing capacity. CEO Mark Zuckerberg has stressed the company’s urgent need to scale AI infrastructure across its U.S. sites.
Wednesday’s detentions highlight a growing concern among large employers: preparing employees for potential immigration enforcement encounters, whether on-site or in transit. Over the past year, ICE operations have increased across multiple U.S. states, often sparking tensions with local governments.
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, a supporter of federal immigration enforcement policies, has overseen state funding that contributes nearly $1 million monthly to detain individuals at Angola Prison, according to Axios public records.
"This incident underscores the challenges companies face in ensuring workforce compliance and safety amid heightened immigration enforcement," said industry analyst Jennifer Morales.
Meta’s Hyperion Data Center remains on schedule, and construction continues uninterrupted. The project is expected to play a central role in Meta’s nationwide AI infrastructure strategy, alongside other multi-gigawatt data centers under development.
Originally reported by Dominick Reuter and Aditi Bharade in Business Insider.
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