Border Patrol begins "Swamp Sweep" in New Orleans
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Activists demonstrate against potential immigration enforcement raids on Saturday in New Orleans. Photo: Ryan Murphy/Getty Images
Border Patrol agents are expected to start immigration enforcement efforts Monday in New Orleans, with the goal of arresting 5,000 people in south Louisiana and Mississippi, according to reports.
Why it matters: Communities are rushing to prepare amid uncertainty and mounting fear.
The big picture: Greg Bovino, the commander of Customs and Border Protection, is reportedly leading the mission after wrapping up enforcement in Charlotte and Chicago.
- His agency and the Department of Homeland Security declined to comment to Axios, saying they don't discuss operational details.
- It's unclear where they will focus. Social media reports showed arrests already in Algiers and Metairie, and protests began over the weekend.
Friction point: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement confirmed to The Times-Picayune that four people were arrested in Gretna last Wednesday.
- During the arrests, according to videos posted to social media, law enforcement agents called for people filming to step 25 feet away, apparently referencing a 2024 Louisiana buffer zone law.
- But that law was ruled unconstitutional earlier this year, the Louisiana Illuminator reports.
- Gretna Deputy Police Chief Jason DiMarco, whose officers were involved in the arrests, tells WWL he has informed his staff that the 25-foot law is not enforceable.
Zoom in: Mayor LaToya Cantrell made her first public comments last week about the deployment, urging residents to "stay calm" and "rely on trusted information."
- The lack of information is the problem though, Mayor-elect Helena Moreno said at a separate press conference.
- Parents are scared to send their children to school, she said, and the Spanish-language service at her church is getting smaller every week.
- Moreno called on the city's legal community to provide assistance so "peoples' rights are not violated."
What's happening: The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Louisiana has a new online guide to help prepare small business owners and employees.
- Moreno also launched a resource page and says she and Council President JP Morrell are building a way to catalog "unlawful or abusive behavior."
- Numerous grassroots efforts are distributing whistle kits, making signs for restaurants and organizing protests.
The other side: Attorney General Liz Murrill says Louisiana residents and public officials may face criminal charges if they "interfere" with or "obstruct" immigration enforcement agents.
- A 2024 state law bans "sanctuary policies" and requires local law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. New Orleans has long been a so-called sanctuary city, with NOPD not participating in immigration enforcement.
- NOPD Chief Anne Kirkpatrick told WBOK last month that the police department will be a partner with federal agencies but will not ask about immigration status during routine interactions or make immigration arrests.
What's next: Border Patrol will reportedly be in town for two months.
- The Louisiana National Guard will also be in New Orleans to provide security for the Sugar Bowl and Mardi Gras, officials say, but they won't be part of immigration efforts.
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Editor's note: This story has been corrected to reflect that Jason DiMarco is Gretna's deputy chief of police (not chief of police).