The city of New Orleans is preparing for the imminent arrival of up to 250 federal border patrol agents, as former President Donald Trump forges ahead with a sweeping immigration crackdown targeting Democrat-led cities.
A City on Edge
Despite official crime statistics showing a 20% drop in violent crime compared to last year, including a historic reduction in murders, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is moving forward with Operation Swamp Sweep. According to the Associated Press, this operation is scheduled to launch across south-east Louisiana and Mississippi on 1 December, with the stated objective of arresting 5,000 people.
The operation will be commanded by Gregory Bovino, a senior border patrol commander who has previously overseen aggressive campaigns in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Charlotte. His previous deployments have triggered large-scale protests and volatile confrontations between federal agents and citizens, with lawsuits filed in Chicago over arrests and the use of excessive force, including teargas and pepper spray.
Community Mobilisation and Resistance
In response, New Orleans residents are organising a robust community defence network. Activists are sharing plans to report ICE sightings, alert day labourers to enforcement threats, and help escort children to and from school when agents are in the area.
Using community text threads and social media, neighbours are rallying around those believed to be under threat. Tactics include literally blowing whistles in the street to warn of approaching officers. There were reports of construction workers staying home last Friday in anticipation of early raids, and local businesses are being urged not to serve ICE agents.
Local immigrant advocacy group Unión Migrante is central to the resistance, posting ICE sightings and sharing resources in both English and Spanish. The group holds regular Know Your Rights workshops, educating people on their legal protections and how to interact with immigration authorities.
Volunteer Alfredo Salazar expressed a common fear, telling Fox 8, I look Latino and I worry I could be arrested for it... So we have to educate people that we have rights to defend ourselves.
Political Backing and Local Opposition
The crackdown has the enthusiastic support of Louisiana's Republican governor, Jeff Landry, a staunch Trump ally. The GOP-dominated state legislature has passed laws threatening prison time for law enforcement officials who ignore federal enforcement efforts and has banned city policies that prohibit cooperation with federal immigration agencies.
This puts the operation at odds with New Orleans' newly elected Mexican-American mayor, Helena Moreno, who told the AP there is a lot of fear in the city. I'm very concerned about due process being violated, I'm very concerned about racial profiling, she stated.
Complicating matters, the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) was recently released from a federal reform pact that had shielded its officers from participating in immigration enforcement. Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick stated that while her officers would collaborate with federal agents, they would not participate in raids or deportations.
As the city known for its rich cultural blend braces for a federal showdown, its residents are sending a clear message to Washington: We have rights.
