Federal Immigration Officers Suddenly Shift Focus from Louisiana to Minneapolis Amid Protests and Controversy.
In a sudden and unexpected move, the Trump administration has pulled its federal immigration officers out of a Louisiana crackdown dubbed "Catahoula Crunch" and is redirecting them to Minneapolis in an effort that appears to be winding down. The operation, which aimed to make thousands of arrests, drew widespread protests and raised concerns among immigrant communities.
Documents obtained by the Associated Press reveal that the officers are set to depart for Minneapolis as early as this week, citing a need to focus on a new enforcement initiative tied to allegations of voter fraud involving Somali residents. Over 2,000 federal officers are taking part in what the Department of Homeland Security calls the largest immigration enforcement operation ever.
The deployment to Minnesota has been met with demonstrations and anger following an ICE officer fatally shooting a woman on Wednesday. The sudden shift in focus comes after New Orleans's Democratic leaders criticized the Louisiana operation, calling its 5,000-arrest target unrealistic and expressing concerns over racial profiling.
Despite initial skepticism from some community members, many immigrant-run businesses in Kenner, a predominantly Latino enclave just outside New Orleans, had initially closed during the operation to protect customers who feared they would be targeted by federal officers regardless of their immigration status. However, some restaurants have since announced plans to reopen.
The latest development has left questions about the true purpose behind the sudden shift in focus and whether it is an attempt to quell controversy surrounding the Louisiana deployment. As one business owner in Kenner, Carmela Diaz, noted, "I'm going to wait and see this week... I have a lot of clients who want to eat here." The fate of the Minneapolis operation remains unclear, but its impact on immigrant communities in Louisiana is already evident.
In a sudden and unexpected move, the Trump administration has pulled its federal immigration officers out of a Louisiana crackdown dubbed "Catahoula Crunch" and is redirecting them to Minneapolis in an effort that appears to be winding down. The operation, which aimed to make thousands of arrests, drew widespread protests and raised concerns among immigrant communities.
Documents obtained by the Associated Press reveal that the officers are set to depart for Minneapolis as early as this week, citing a need to focus on a new enforcement initiative tied to allegations of voter fraud involving Somali residents. Over 2,000 federal officers are taking part in what the Department of Homeland Security calls the largest immigration enforcement operation ever.
The deployment to Minnesota has been met with demonstrations and anger following an ICE officer fatally shooting a woman on Wednesday. The sudden shift in focus comes after New Orleans's Democratic leaders criticized the Louisiana operation, calling its 5,000-arrest target unrealistic and expressing concerns over racial profiling.
Despite initial skepticism from some community members, many immigrant-run businesses in Kenner, a predominantly Latino enclave just outside New Orleans, had initially closed during the operation to protect customers who feared they would be targeted by federal officers regardless of their immigration status. However, some restaurants have since announced plans to reopen.
The latest development has left questions about the true purpose behind the sudden shift in focus and whether it is an attempt to quell controversy surrounding the Louisiana deployment. As one business owner in Kenner, Carmela Diaz, noted, "I'm going to wait and see this week... I have a lot of clients who want to eat here." The fate of the Minneapolis operation remains unclear, but its impact on immigrant communities in Louisiana is already evident.
so it seems like the fed immigration officers are like, totally shifting gears from Louisiana to Minneapolis 
and now people are all confused 
about what's really going on 
. I mean, on one hand, they're pulling out of Louisiana 'cause there were protests and stuff 
, but then they're redeploying to Minneapolis because of some voter fraud allegations involving Somali residents 
? Like, how does that even work? 
. like, over 2k federal officers are involved in this enforcement operation 
? that's a lot of people 
.
to help visualize what's going on:
... so apparently 2000 federal officers just up and leave la to go to minneapolis? like what's the real deal here? are they trying to cover their tracks after all that controversy in louisiana? or is it really about voter fraud allegations with somali residents? 
- Mark Antony (If they're really shifting focus from Louisiana, it's gonna be hard for them to control how people react to this move... and not all good)
. I mean, it's great that some communities are able to breathe a sigh of relief now that the officers are leaving...but what about the lives lost and disrupted during the "Catahoula Crunch"? It's not just about targeting specific groups for arrest, but also about creating fear and uncertainty in entire neighborhoods 
like the woman who got shot in Minneapolis, my heart goes out to her and her loved ones 
can't we just have some clarity and understanding about what's really going on instead of all this back-and-forth? 
. And now we're dealing with the aftermath of an ICE officer killing someone in Minneapolis? That's just not right 
.
. Anyway, I'm def keeping an eye on this situation and waiting to see what happens next. Stay tuned! 
my friend's cousin is from somali and he's always getting these weird looks when he tries to order food because of his accent or something. i don't even know how that voter fraud thing ties into all this... maybe they're just trying to distract everyone?
. I mean, what's with the sudden focus on voter fraud allegations in Minnesota? Are they really that desperate for a distraction from the controversy back home? And can we talk about how this is gonna affect those immigrant communities in Louisiana who were already living in fear of these raids? They're like, "Yeah, we'll just close up shop until you guys figure out what's going on" 
cant wait to see what happens with minneapolis op tho!