By Bill Pan
Contributing Writer
A new round of immigration enforcement has begun in New Orleans, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said.
On Wednesday, the department announced “Operation Catahoula Crunch,” describing it as an effort to “target criminal aliens roaming free.” It cited New Orleans’ sanctuary policies, which restrict local authorities from honoring Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer requests for individuals arrested on other charges.
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said those targeted in the Louisiana city include people who had been released after arrests for crimes such as home invasion, armed robbery, grand theft auto and rape.
The announcement included photos and a list of 10 illegal immigrants — originally from Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Jordan and Vietnam — whom the agency said were arrested for various offenses in New Orleans and 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.
She did not specify how many federal agents would be deployed for the operation or how long it would last. While the DHS did not say which specific agencies are participating, Gregory Bovino, a commander with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, has confirmed on social media that his team has arrived in New Orleans. Bovino has overseen similar high-profile action in Los Angeles, Chicago and Charlotte, North Carolina.
“We are here arresting criminals who should not be here,” Bovino wrote on Wednesday on X, responding to a statement by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem about Operation Catahoula Crunch.
The FBI and Louisiana State Police also announced that they will support the operation by working together to deter assaults on federal officers and stop attempts to obstruct agents from doing their jobs.
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, a Republican, welcomed the increased presence of federal agents in his state’s largest city.
“New Orleans is a crime-ridden city that we’ve been trying to keep people safe,” he said in an interview with Fox News. “I’m welcoming [the federal agents] to come in. We’re going to take these dangerous criminals off the streets in Louisiana.”
Mayor-elect Helena Moreno, a Democrat who will take office in January 2026, has criticized the enforcement surge in New Orleans as well as in other Democratic-led cities. She recently launched a website to instruct people on how to navigate encounters with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and CBP agents.
“My first priority is to keep our community safe. 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,” Moreno said in a recent statement.
“We must demand accountability and that people’s rights are not violated. I’m also calling on our legal community to step up and provide whatever assistance they can to help protect and preserve individual rights.”
