Latest surge of federal agents comes as Trump says National Guard will soon be deployed to Louisiana city.
The administration of United States President Donald Trump has announced its latest immigration crackdown in the country, this time targeting the Louisiana city of New Orleans.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Wednesday said the administration had launched “Operation Catahoula Crunch”, which used the name of both a parish in New Orleans and a breed of dog common in the state.
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The move is the most recent effort by the Trump administration to surge immigration enforcement in Democrat-led cities, particularly those with policies that prohibit local authorities from cooperating with federal immigration authorities, commonly known as “sanctuary policies”.
DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said the enforcement would target undocumented individuals convicted of crimes in New Orleans who were subsequently 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 that should have never been put back on the streets,” McLaughlin said in a statement.
“It is asinine that these monsters were released back onto New Orleans streets to COMMIT MORE CRIMES and create more victims,” she said.
New Orleans had previously been included on a US Department of Justice list of so-called “Sanctuary Cities”, but local officials have questioned the inclusion, according to The Times-Picayune newspaper.
They have said the city has no policies that directly hinder federal immigration enforcement. The closest measure appears to be an Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office policy that prohibits local jails from holding inmates past their sentences at the request of immigration authorities, according to the newspaper.
Still, that policy has exceptions for individuals convicted of serious crimes.
Possible National Guard deployment
The Department of Homeland Security statement on Wednesday did not provide information on how many immigration agents would be surged to New Orleans.
However, the Associated Press news agency reported earlier this week that about 250 federal agents were expected to be deployed across Louisiana as part of a broader initiative dubbed “Swamp Sweep” by the Trump administration.
The news agency reported that the operation aims to make 5,000 arrests.
The move appears to follow a familiar playbook that the Trump administration has used in Los Angeles, California; Chicago, Illinois; Charlotte, North Carolina; and Washington, DC.
In many instances, the surge in federal agents has preceded efforts to deploy the National Guard. The tactic has been met with widespread protest.
Unlike in many Democrat-controlled states, Louisiana’s Governor Jeff Landry, a Republican, has officially requested that the military send up to 1,000 National Guard members to New Orleans.
On Tuesday, Landry said he expected such a deployment to be approved by the end of December. On the same day, Trump said the timeline would likely be within “a couple of weeks”.
Several local officials have condemned the plan, saying it is out of step with the city’s needs and is likely to lead to dangerous escalation.
“New Orleans welcomes partnership. We do not welcome occupation,” US Congress member Troy Carter, who represents Louisiana in the federal legislature, wrote on Twitter.
“What we are seeing unfold in our community is not public safety; it is a political stunt wrapped in badges, armoured vehicles, and military uniforms.”