Baton Rouge council approves $1.16M DHS deal for BRPD task force at Airline HQ

Council approves $1.16 million BRPD headquarters project

The Baton Rouge Metro Council approved a Department of Homeland Security agreement on June 10 to renovate office space at Baton Rouge Police Department headquarters on Airline Highway for a multi-agency task force. The project is tied to about $1,157,000 in federal funding and covers roughly 9,000 square feet at 9000 Airline Highway.

According to the council packet, the renovated space would serve as a collocation site for a Homeland Security Investigative Task Force. The packet says the task force is intended to support coordinated investigations into violent crime and gang activity, with local, state and federal agencies working from the same space.

WRKF reported that the measure passed with seven votes in favor and two members absent. The project is not finished yet, and the council still has follow-up approvals to consider before renovation work can be completed.

Officials say the focus is violent crime, not immigration enforcement

Supporters of the agreement say the task force is meant to strengthen Baton Rouge’s response to violent crime and gang cases. A pre-vote WAFB report said the partnership was being pitched as a way to expand investigative capacity and coordination with federal partners already working those cases.

That distinction matters because Homeland Security Investigations sits within U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Community members and some council critics said that connection could make immigrant and refugee residents more wary of local police, especially if they fear information could be shared beyond criminal investigations.

Officials emphasized that the agreement is aimed at violent-crime work, not immigration enforcement. The issue raised at the council meeting was less about whether BRPD needs investigative space and more about what kind of federal partnership the city is entering.

What Baton Rouge residents should watch next

The council vote moves the project forward, but the practical effects will come later. Residents should watch for the next construction milestones, any additional council actions, and more detail on how the task force will operate once the space is built out.

For Baton Rouge, the decision adds another public-safety investment aimed at violent-crime investigations. It also leaves open a local debate over trust, oversight and how the city should work with a federal agency that many residents associate first with immigration enforcement.

Sources

• Baton Rouge Metro Council June 10, 2026 agenda packet
• WRKF: Baton Rouge Metro Council accepts grant from federal law enforcement, despite community concerns
• WBRZ: EBR Metro Council approves agreement with DHS for BRPD HQ renovations, HSI Task Force
• WAFB: Federal investment could expand Baton Rouge’s battle against gang, violent crime