Federal agents launch immigration crackdown in New Orleans

Federal agents launched a major immigration operation in New Orleans on Wednesday as part of the Trump administration’s nationwide crackdown, targeting immigrants accused of violent crimes. Masked agents in marked and unmarked vehicles patrolled heavily Hispanic neighborhoods, with witnesses reporting arrests outside a home improvement store.

The operation, dubbed “Catahoula Crunch” after Louisiana’s state dog, involves more than 200 officials from Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. According to a U.S. official speaking on condition of anonymity, the operation aims to make as many arrests as possible over at least 60 days.

Homeland Security Department Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated that the New Orleans operation specifically targets immigrants who were released after arrests for serious crimes including home invasion, armed robbery, and rape.

Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino, who previously led similar enforcement operations in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Charlotte, North Carolina, was seen coordinating with agents at a Home Depot parking lot on Wednesday. The presence of federal officers quickly spread through immigrant communities, creating tension and uncertainty.

In Kenner, a suburb with the highest concentration of Hispanic residents in Louisiana, a convoy of federal vehicles slowly patrolled past gas stations and retail establishments. One witness, Jody Styles, described seeing agents chase down and arrest people in a Lowe’s parking lot. “They tried to run across the street but they caught them,” Styles reported.

The operation represents part of a broader immigration enforcement strategy under President Donald Trump that has included similar sweeps across major cities since January. Planning documents obtained by the Associated Press revealed that federal officials aim to arrest 5,000 people in a crackdown extending from southeast Louisiana into Mississippi. Another operation targeting Somali immigrants is reportedly planned for Minnesota soon.

The enforcement actions have prompted significant community response. Some business owners in heavily Hispanic areas have temporarily closed. At Los Hondureños, a restaurant in Kenner, a handwritten sign indicated closure “until further notice,” concluding with “Thank you, The Hondurans.” Other establishments have posted notices barring federal immigration agents from entering.

Earlier this week, despite rain and cold temperatures, dozens of protesters demonstrated against the coming enforcement action. The New Orleans City Council has launched an online portal where residents can report alleged abuse by federal officers.

Louisiana Republican Governor Jeff Landry, a close Trump ally, has defended the operation, stating on the Walton & Johnson radio show that it targets the “worst of the worst, criminal illegal aliens that have broken the law.” He added, “It started today and it’s going to run until we get them all off the street.”

Landry also mentioned that National Guard members are expected to arrive in New Orleans before Christmas to join efforts to combat crime.

The relationship between local and federal authorities remains complex. The Department of Justice lists New Orleans among 18 cities it considers to be providing sanctuary to immigrants without legal status. Louisiana officials have highlighted crimes involving suspects with questionable immigration status, including the killing of a French Quarter tour guide allegedly by a group that included a Honduran man who entered the country illegally.

New Orleans officials deny that city policies obstruct immigration enforcement. Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick has maintained that immigration is a civil matter outside her jurisdiction.

Meanwhile, a Louisiana immigrant rights group has asked a judge to block a new state law that expands prosecutors’ ability to charge people accused of interfering with federal immigration enforcement. The New Orleans-based nonprofit Immigration Services and Legal Advocacy claims the law has created a chilling effect on their freedom of speech, causing them to halt workshops explaining legal rights during immigration-related arrests.

The current enforcement actions come twenty years after New Orleans relied heavily on Latino workers who helped rebuild the city following Hurricane Katrina’s devastation.