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Dozens of people have been detained in the metropolitan area of New Orleans during a new federal immigration offensive that has entered its second day, amidst reports from organizations and witnesses claiming that arrests are being made in public spaces and that a significant portion of those detained have no criminal record.
Local activists claim that the operation is creating panic among immigrant communities and that, rather than targeting criminals, it is impacting workers and families simply for being out in public.
The operation, identified by authorities as "Catahoula Crunch," has been deployed with scattered arrests in everyday locations such as the parking lots of Home Depot and Lowe’s, bus stops, shopping centers, and residential areas.
Defenders report that many people have chosen to hide out of fear of being intercepted, while describing the atmosphere as "terrifying" and "traumatizing."
To justify the operation, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced "dozens" of arrests in the first 24 hours and specifically mentioned six individuals who, according to the agency, had extensive criminal records, with cases ranging from convictions for kidnapping and assault to possession of marijuana.
However, defenders and cited reports indicate that there were many other arrests for which no complete count has been provided, and that U.S. authorities have repeatedly refused to disclose total figures. The daughters of one of the detainees stated to Telemundo that their father is a hardworking person with no criminal record.
Critics focused on the fact that the operation would be targeting individuals without a criminal record, a pattern that has already been observed in recent Border Patrol raids in Chicago and North Carolina, where the vast majority of those detained would have been without any prior offenses.
In New Orleans, activists also reported that individuals with work permits and U.S. citizens were detained or interrogated and were later released after proving their citizenship.
A video shared with The Guardian by Rachel Taber, an organizer with Union Migrante, shows masked agents questioning a man in the parking lot of a Lowe’s in Elysian Fields.
In the images, an agent repeatedly asks the man where he was born; the man responds that he is a U.S. citizen, but the agent insists —even in Spanish— and ultimately orders him to be handcuffed when the man says he will not answer any more questions.
Taber indicated that his organization was aware of three cases in which American citizens were detained and interrogated before being released.
Another reported story describes a young mother born in the United States who was allegedly chased to her home by federal agents after leaving a grocery store in Marrero.
According to her testimony, she shouted at them that she was a citizen and asked them to let her go because her daughter was waiting for her at home.
Defenders argue that the actual selection criterion is racial profiling and not criminal history.
"They are not arresting criminals," Taber stated, asserting that the agents "are detaining people on the street, anyone they can catch: mothers and fathers returning home from work."
While the operation continues, community organizations demand transparency regarding the actual number of detainees and question how, in a city governed by Democrats, a strategy is being deployed that —according to activists— punishes individuals without criminal records, those with work permits, and even U.S. citizens, leaving immigrant communities in a state of constant fear.
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