NEW ORLEANS (KNOE) - The ACLU of Louisiana filed a lawsuit Wednesday (Dec. 3) challenging the state’s Act 399, which criminalizes hindering or interfering with federal immigration enforcement efforts.

The lawsuit comes as federal agents were deployed into Louisiana for “ Operation Swamp Sweep ,” since renamed “Operation Catahoula Crunch.” The operation is meant to detain immigrants who were released after arrests for crimes, according to Department of Homeland Security assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin.

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said Act 399 will be used to prevent people from interfering with those operations.

Act 399, which went into effect Aug. 1, amended Louisiana’s obstruction of justice statute to threaten imprisonment with hard labor and thousands of dollars

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