The Trump administration is preparing to launch a major immigration enforcement operation in New Orleans, potentially beginning as early as Dec. 1, Department of Homeland Security sources reported.
According to CBS News, roughly 200 federal Border Patrol agents are expected to be sent to the city as part of a nationwide crackdown on illegal immigration, internal government documents show.
The initiative targets Democratic-led cities, extending enforcement far beyond the U.S.-Mexico border.
New Orleans would follow in the footsteps of other major cities previously targeted by the administration.
Last week, Border Patrol agents led by controversial commander Gregory Bovino conducted a large-scale roundup in Charlotte, North Carolina.
A DHS official told CBS News that the Charlotte operation, dubbed “Charlotte’s Web,” resulted in more than 200 arrests and is expected to wind down this week.
Bovino’s teams have previously carried out similar raids in Chicago and Los Angeles, arresting suspected undocumented immigrants at worksites, Home Depot parking lots, and other public locations.
These operations have drawn protests and heightened tensions, with critics accusing federal agents of racial profiling and heavy-handed tactics.
Trump administration officials have rejected those allegations, asserting that arrests are based solely on immigration status and not race. They have also defended the use of force by agents, citing incidents of attacks against law enforcement personnel.
Bovino told CBS News last month that the conduct of agents during the Chicago raids had been “exemplary.”
New Orleans presents a unique political landscape: a Democratic mayor presides over the city, while Republican Gov. Jeff Landry, a Trump ally, has cooperated with the administration on immigration enforcement efforts.
Internal DHS documents indicate that agents have requested armored vehicles and special operations teams for both the Charlotte and New Orleans operations.
As the federal government moves to implement its far-reaching crackdown, the New Orleans deployment is expected to become a flashpoint in the ongoing debate over immigration enforcement in U.S. cities far from the southern border.
Protests and political clashes appear likely as federal agents prepare to descend on the city.
