The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has launched a major immigration enforcement crackdown in New Orleans, deploying federal agents across the city as part of its renewed push to arrest and deport undocumented migrants with criminal records.
The operation, led by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), began this week with teams of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol agents carrying out coordinated arrests in several neighbourhoods. Officials said the exercise forms part of the administration’s broader national campaign to tighten border controls and intensify interior immigration enforcement.
According to DHS, the operation is focused on undocumented migrants with prior convictions, particularly those accused of serious crimes who were previously released due to limited cooperation between local authorities and federal immigration agencies.
“This enforcement action is about protecting American communities and upholding the rule of law,” a DHS spokesperson said, adding that individuals targeted include those with records of violent offences.
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Federal officials confirmed that the crackdown will run for several days and could result in hundreds of arrests. However, immigrant-rights groups warned that the operation is already creating fear within communities, with residents reporting a visible federal presence near homes, workplaces and public gathering points.
Local advocacy organisations said some migrant workers had stopped going to work, while families were keeping children at home amid fears of indiscriminate arrests.
City officials have sought to distance themselves from the enforcement drive, stressing that New Orleans maintains policies that limit local involvement in federal immigration operations. The mayor’s office said it remained committed to public safety while ensuring that residents feel secure in reporting crimes without fear of deportation.
The New Orleans operation follows similar enforcement drives carried out in other U.S. cities in recent months, as the Trump administration moves to fulfil campaign pledges to step up deportations and dismantle what it describes as “sanctuary” policies.
