The Department of Homeland Security on Dec. 3 said it launched an immigration crackdown in New Orleans, the latest city targeted by the Trump administration as it carries out a mass deportation campaign.

The agency said in a statement that the mission, dubbed Operation Catahoula Crunch, will target "criminal illegal aliens roaming free thanks to sanctuary policies." Federal officials have not said how many agents will be sent to New Orleans or how long the operation will last.

The Trump administration has launched similar operations this year in Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, DC, and, most recently, Charlotte, North Carolina.

In a statement, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said the New Orleans enforcement will focus on "violent criminals." President Donald Trump similarly said immigration agents will target "the worst of the worst" violent offenders.

But results from previous immigration crackdowns show many of those swept up in recent operations have no criminal history. Of the more than 600 people arrested in an immigration blitz in Chicago, only 16 had a criminal record, according to Justice Department records submitted in federal court.

Louisiana Republican Gov. Jeff Landry, an ally of the president, said he supports the federal intervention.

"We welcome our federal partners," he said in a recent Fox News appearance, describing New Orleans as a "crime-ridden city."

New Orleans Mayor-elect Helena Moreno, a Democrat, said in a statement before the operation began that she was concerned about "due process violations and potential abuses" in other cities.

Since rumors spread of an operation in New Orleans, hundreds of demonstrators have taken to the streets in recent days to speak out against the federal crackdown. Immigrant rights advocates said they were bracing for the arrival of federal agents, warning residents in immigrant communities to limit their time outdoors.

New Orleans is among a group of cities the Department of Justice considers sanctuary jurisdictions, which the agency defines as places with "policies, laws, or regulations that impede enforcement of federal immigration laws."

For more than a decade, the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office has had a policy of refusing requests from immigration officials to temporarily hold arrested suspects unless they've been charged with murder, rape or other serious violent offenses.

In February, Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill sued the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office, alleging that the agency's policies violate a state law passed in 2024 requiring law enforcement agencies to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.

(This story has been updated to add new information.)

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump administration launches immigration crackdown in New Orleans

Reporting by Christopher Cann, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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