A federal immigration crackdown branded “Operation Swamp Sweep” is set to begin this week, with 250 Border Patrol agents expected to be deployed to New Orleans and Mississippi. The mission is part of President Donald Trump’s broader immigration enforcement strategy.
Similar operations have already rolled out in cities such as Chicago, Los Angeles and Charlotte, North Carolina. Unlike those locations, Louisiana’s Republican governor is welcoming the federal involvement.
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Officials say the operation aims to arrest about 5,000 people in southeast Louisiana and Mississippi. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has confirmed at least four arrests so far in Gretna, Louisiana.
In an interview with Scripps News, Jordan Bridges, organizing director for the New Orleans Workers’ Center for Racial Justice, expressed concern about the impact on the city’s immigrant community.
“New Orleans is a beautiful city and that has a history of resistance,” Bridges said. “And so, I'm seeing exactly that.”
“I can tell you that groups are organizing,” he added. “I can tell you that individuals that are directly impacted are organizing.”
Louisiana State Rep. Matthew Willard said Border Patrol has not been forthcoming with local officials about operational details.
"Our police chief here in the city of New Orleans has had conversations with Border Patrol. The information that has been provided is not reassuring and not really many details being provided,” Willard said. “So we're really in the dark.”
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New Orleans Mayor-elect Helena Moreno shared legal resources on Instagram and urged residents to know their rights.
“My first priority is keeping our community safe,” Moreno wrote. “The reports of due process violations and potential abuses in other cities are concerning. I want our community to be aware and informed of the protections available under law. We must demand accountability and that peoples’ rights are not violated.”
The Department of Homeland Security told Scripps News that it enforces federal laws daily but declined to discuss specifics of future or ongoing operations. It remains unclear how long Operation Swamp Sweep will last.
