US immigration authorities launched a major enforcement operation in New Orleans on Wednesday aimed at arresting people living in the country without legal status, federal officials confirmed. The city has become the latest focus of former President Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration crackdown.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, the operation is targeting individuals with criminal histories who were previously released from local custody under New Orleans policies that limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, Reuters reported.
Trump had earlier ordered similar sweeps in Democratic-led cities such as Los Angeles, Chicago and Washington, D.C., as part of an effort to increase deportations to unprecedented levels.
Requests for comment from the office of New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell and the New Orleans Police Department went unanswered. Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, a Republican, has repeatedly backed federal immigration enforcement and reaffirmed his support in a radio interview on Wednesday, though his office also did not comment.
Residents and local advocates say these operations have often gone beyond the stated targets, sweeping up people with no criminal record and using tactics that they believe put communities at risk.
One New Orleans family turned their small restaurant into a temporary shelter so relatives could avoid travelling and potentially being stopped by federal agents. Abby, a Mexican immigrant who has lived in the US for nearly 20 years but has been unable to secure legal status, said she fears being separated from her 10-year-old son, a US citizen. “Not all of us are criminals,” she said. “We’re hardworking people who wake up early to achieve our goals and fight for our dreams.”
The Latino population in the New Orleans metro area grew dramatically after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, when thousands of undocumented workers helped rebuild the city. Today, they make up more than 20% of the population in Jefferson Parish, just west of New Orleans, according to Census data.
Immigrant rights group Union Migrante posted videos showing Border Patrol agents questioning workers and making arrests outside home improvement stores across the metro area. Volunteer Rachel Taber said agents ordered her to stay 25 feet back as she filmed officers questioning roofing workers in Kenner. “I’m doing this for my neighbours, for justice, our democracy, for the people who rebuilt our homes after Katrina,” Taber said, adding she was aware of at least 10 arrests on Wednesday. “Immigrants are the fabric of the United States. The real criminals are in the White House.” She said many workers and students stayed home as the operation unfolded, paralysing business activity. “People are having to choose between their jobs and their families.”
New Orleans city council member Lesli Harris told CNN the enforcement sweep was spreading fear across the city. “We’re learning they are targeting people who are here legally — mothers, high school students,” she said.
The operation is expected to continue through the end of the year, though officials have not disclosed its full scope. A US official told Reuters last month that Gregory Bovino, who oversaw similar crackdowns in Los Angeles, Chicago and Charlotte, North Carolina, was preparing to head to New Orleans. On Wednesday, Bovino confirmed his presence, writing on social media: “We are here arresting criminals who should not be here. State, local and federal law enforcement partners in Louisiana are excellent partners!”
Last month, a federal judge ended a 2013 consent decree that had restricted the New Orleans Police Department’s ability to cooperate with federal immigration authorities. However, Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said in late November that the department still would not enforce federal immigration law. The Department of Justice listed New Orleans as a “sanctuary city” in August.
The New Orleans operation follows a Border Patrol-led sweep in Charlotte, North Carolina, and comes as local communities brace for further enforcement actions.
