NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Federal immigration officials arrived in New Orleans on Wednesday as part of the latest operation under President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration. The mission, called “Operation Catahoula Crunch,” was announced with few details, other than it being prompted by what the administration described as a lack of cooperation with local law enforcement.
Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said sanctuary policies put communities at risk by releasing illegal criminal aliens, forcing federal officers to remove individuals who should not have been on the streets. The Department of Homeland Security released a list of immigrants it described as “the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens,” allegedly freed due to those policies. The agency did not provide a timeline for the operation. This comes after Trump said National Guard troops would soon deploy to New Orleans, with Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry expecting up to 1,000 troops to arrive before Christmas, despite local police data showing crime has decreased.