The recent surge in federal personnel comes after President Trump said he would soon deploy the National Guard to the Louisiana city.
The administration of President Donald Trump has announced the latest immigration crackdown in the country, this time targeting the city of New Orleans, Louisiana.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced Wednesday that the administration has launched Operation Catahoula Crunch, which uses the name of both the New Orleans parish and the common breed in the state.
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The move is the latest effort by the Trump administration to step up immigration enforcement in Democratic-led cities, especially those with policies that prohibit local governments from cooperating with federal immigration authorities, commonly known as “sanctuary policies.”
DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said the latest round of enforcement will target undocumented immigrants who were convicted of crimes in New Orleans and later released.
“Sanctuary policies endanger American communities by releasing illegal criminal aliens and forcing DHS law enforcement to risk their lives to remove criminal illegal aliens who should never have been put back on the streets,” McLaughlin said in a statement.
“It is foolish that these monsters were released onto the streets of New Orleans to commit more crimes and create more victims,” she said.
New Orleans was previously included on the U.S. Department of Justice’s list of so-called “sanctuary cities,” but local officials are questioning its inclusion, according to the Times-Picayune.
They said the city has no policies that directly impede federal immigration enforcement. The closest possible measure appears to be a policy by the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office that prohibits local jails from housing inmates past their sentences at the request of immigration authorities, the newspaper said.
Still, the policy has exceptions for individuals convicted of serious crimes.
Possibility of National Guard deployment
The Department of Homeland Security’s statement Wednesday gave no information on how many immigration officers would flood into New Orleans.
But the Associated Press reported earlier this week that about 250 federal agents will be deployed across Louisiana as part of a broader effort by the Trump administration dubbed “Swamp Clearing.”
The news agency reported that the operation aims to arrest 5,000 people.
The move appears to follow a familiar strategy that the Trump administration has used in Los Angeles, California. Chicago, Illinois. Charlotte, North Carolina. and Washington DC.
In many cases, the surge of federal personnel precedes the deployment of the National Guard. This tactic has sparked widespread protests.
Unlike many Democratic-controlled states, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry (R) has formally asked the military to send up to 1,000 National Guard troops to New Orleans.
Landry said Tuesday he expected such a deployment to be approved by the end of December. President Trump said on the same day that the schedule would likely be “within a few weeks.”
Several local officials have criticized the plan, saying it strays from the city’s needs and is likely to lead to dangerous escalation.
“New Orleans welcomes partnership, not occupation,” tweeted U.S. Representative Troy Carter, who represents Louisiana in Congress.
“What we are unfolding in our communities is not public safety, but a political stunt wrapped up in badges, armored vehicles, and military uniforms.”
