Summary
New Orleans will soon be a focus for President Trump's immigration enforcement. Federal troops and Border Patrol agents will join local efforts to enforce immigration laws. The city's leaders are concerned about the impact on immigrant communities.
Key Facts
- New Orleans will be the center of an immigration crackdown called “Operation Swamp Sweep.”
- Up to 250 federal troops are expected to join the operation, supported by Louisiana's Republican Governor Jeff Landry.
- The New Orleans Police Department is no longer protected by a federal reform pact that shielded it from participating in immigration enforcement.
- Governor Landry has worked to increase immigration enforcement in Louisiana, despite the state not sharing a border with another country.
- Louisiana has become a large hub for detaining immigrants, with facilities capable of holding over 6,000 detainees.
- New Orleans has a diverse cultural background and a significant population of immigrants, including ethnic Vietnamese and Latino communities.
- Mayor-elect Helena Moreno is concerned about potential violations of due process and racial profiling from the operation.
- Governor Landry has requested National Guard deployment to assist in crime control, while city police report crime rates are decreasing.
