New Orleans Immigration Crackdown Faces Opposition and Mixed Law Enforcement Support

Protests Against Federal Immigration Operations

• 💡 Approximately 15 protesters gathered in Jefferson Parish to condemn federal law enforcement operations and called on the city council to end cooperation with federal agencies.
• 🗣️ Protesters advocated for sanctuary policies to protect migrants and called for the legalization of all undocumented individuals.
• 🚫 One individual was removed from a city council meeting for holding a sign too high, shouting "Shame on you collaborators."

Public Opinion and Local Reactions

• 📊 A GMC and analytics poll in Orleans Parish indicated that roughly 80% of 500 respondents are against the enforcement operations.
• 🤝 Despite opposition, Commander Gregory Bo claims that federal agents are welcomed by people on the streets in parishes where operations are occurring.

Law Enforcement Collaboration and Policies

• 🚓 State police are working with federal law enforcement, assisting with tasks like closing streets and traffic stops, at the governor's request.
• ⚠️ State police will take action on state-level criminal violations, including assault or battery of law enforcement and property damage.
• ⚖️ New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) stated they are not assisting but will comply with the law, while the Attorney General urged full cooperation with ICE and Border Patrol.
• 📜 Other local police departments, like Kenner PD, have signed on to the 287(g) program, which facilitates cooperation with federal immigration authorities.

Context of Federal Presence

• 🌊 New Orleans, being a coastal sector, already has ICE and Border Patrol presence, and apprehensions will continue regardless of the current operation's magnitude.
• 📍 The current operation's magnitude is new, but the presence of federal immigration enforcement is not.