New Orleans prepares for a massive influx of federal immigration enforcement agents, as President Donald Trump's aggressive deportation agenda threatens to upend the lives of thousands of city residents.
The city is bracing itself for "Operation Swamp Sweep", a federal crackdown aimed at arresting 5,000 undocumented immigrants in south-east Louisiana and Mississippi. As many as 250 federal agents are expected to descend on New Orleans imminently, sparking widespread fear and anxiety among the local population.
Despite falling crime rates, including a historic drop in murders, Trump has declared that New Orleans has a "crime problem" that needs to be tackled head-on. However, city officials point out that violent crime is 20% lower than last year, and that the city's diverse community is built on a foundation of tolerance and acceptance.
The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) operation will be led by Gregory Bovino, a senior border patrol commander with a history of overseeing aggressive campaigns in cities such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and Charlotte. In these cities, protests and demonstrations have broken out amidst reports of excessive force and teargas deployment by federal agents.
New Orleans residents are taking matters into their own hands, sharing plans to report ICE sightings, alert landscapers and other manual workers to the threat of enforcement, and rallying around neighbors who may be targeted due to their immigration status. Community text threads, social media groups, and whistleblowing have become essential tools in the resistance movement.
Mayor-elect Helena Moreno has expressed concern over the potential for due process violations and racial profiling, while local immigrant advocacy group Unión Migrante is holding regular "Know Your Rights" workshops to educate residents on their protections during immigration investigations.
The city's police department has been released from a federal reform pact that would have shielded its officers from participating in immigration enforcement. However, the NOPD superintendent has vowed to collaborate with federal agents, but not on raids or deportations.
As the city prepares for the arrival of federal agents, one thing is clear: New Orleans will not go quietly into the night. Residents are determined to defend their rights and their communities, even if it means taking a stand against the Trump administration's aggressive immigration policies.
The city is bracing itself for "Operation Swamp Sweep", a federal crackdown aimed at arresting 5,000 undocumented immigrants in south-east Louisiana and Mississippi. As many as 250 federal agents are expected to descend on New Orleans imminently, sparking widespread fear and anxiety among the local population.
Despite falling crime rates, including a historic drop in murders, Trump has declared that New Orleans has a "crime problem" that needs to be tackled head-on. However, city officials point out that violent crime is 20% lower than last year, and that the city's diverse community is built on a foundation of tolerance and acceptance.
The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) operation will be led by Gregory Bovino, a senior border patrol commander with a history of overseeing aggressive campaigns in cities such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and Charlotte. In these cities, protests and demonstrations have broken out amidst reports of excessive force and teargas deployment by federal agents.
New Orleans residents are taking matters into their own hands, sharing plans to report ICE sightings, alert landscapers and other manual workers to the threat of enforcement, and rallying around neighbors who may be targeted due to their immigration status. Community text threads, social media groups, and whistleblowing have become essential tools in the resistance movement.
Mayor-elect Helena Moreno has expressed concern over the potential for due process violations and racial profiling, while local immigrant advocacy group Unión Migrante is holding regular "Know Your Rights" workshops to educate residents on their protections during immigration investigations.
The city's police department has been released from a federal reform pact that would have shielded its officers from participating in immigration enforcement. However, the NOPD superintendent has vowed to collaborate with federal agents, but not on raids or deportations.
As the city prepares for the arrival of federal agents, one thing is clear: New Orleans will not go quietly into the night. Residents are determined to defend their rights and their communities, even if it means taking a stand against the Trump administration's aggressive immigration policies.
Can't believe what's happening in NOLA rn... like they're basically setting up for a war zone over 5k ppl's lives 
The fact that mayor-elect is worried about due process violations & racial profiling? Yeah, it should be a concern 
. But at the same time, I'm super proud of all these residents taking matters into their own hands, sharing info & supporting each other 
. Unión Migrante's "Know Your Rights" workshops are gonna be super helpful for ppl who don't know what to expect during immigration investigations 
. And let's be real, the Trump admin's deportation agenda is just messed up 
.
like what's next, him sending in troops to quell a supposed "riot" in the french quarter? that's just rediculous.
I know Trump says there's a crime problem but we all know that's just an excuse 
and it's not gonna solve anything. The city is coming together tho, community is rallying around each other and sharing info to help those who might get targeted 
NOPD should stick to their job of keeping us safe, not participating in raids 
... I've got friends who are Mexican-American and they're always stressing about this kind of thing. What if they get caught up in the "sweep"? It's like, what even is a crime problem in New Orleans? They've gotta be seeing something we ain't, right? 