As ICE ramps up immigration sweeps, New Orleans’ sanctuary city status could be put to the test
New Orleans – It’s 5:30 a.m., just outside New Orleans, a group of agents and the Drug Enforcement Agency of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement have just stopped and arrested a man, a targeted action in the New Orleans metropolitan area every day part of.
In this special operation, which ICE invites CBS News to view, the goal is to detain and deport three different immigrants they say, who said were undocumented and have been recently charged with various crimes.
“We are doing more for Caseload right now,” Brian Acuna, deputy field officer in the operation, told CBS News. “We are looking for the worst streets.”
ice Say these actions are top priority, as the new Trump administration intensifies immediately effort Targeting illegal immigration and conducting Mass deportation. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said this week that his immigration crackdown has resulted in more than 8,000 arrests since President Trump took office.
Steven Holfer, a special agent in charge of the DEA’s New Orleans field department, would be happy to help, even if it means putting other tasks on hold. He said that the DEA has been assisting ICE detention and deportation operations every day for the past two weeks.
According to ICE agents, a morning traffic stop in Metairie, Metairie, was planned after careful surveillance. Icefield agents detained a person accused of being raped, and another undocumented man they said happened to be in the car. Ice described the arrest as “collateral.”
“If other people we do meet other people, our supervisors will make decisions based on the case,” Acuna said.
This has worried Gracey, 25, who asked CBS News to worry about revenge only with her name. Originally from Honduras, she said she has committed no crime since crossing the border five years ago.
Gracey has gained some temporary protection to live and work in the United States while her immigration case is still under trial.
Her 3-year-old daughter is a U.S. citizen, but her 8-year-old daughter has no document. She told CBS News she was worried that she would never see her children again if she was forced to leave the United States
“What happens to my family?” she asked. “If (if) I will be separated from my daughter and I have no choice about her, that is my fear.”
Currently, according to the 2023 U.S. Census, more than 10,000 non-citizens live in New Orleans, and most are estimated to have no records. But a Louisiana law just passed last year, a policy that prohibits New Orleans as a sanctuary city, the only policy in the Gulf nation.
Acuna said New Orleans’ sanctuary city policy has problems with ICE’s New Orleans field office.
“All other sheriffs except the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office are cooperatives,” Akuna said. “You don’t have time to be frustrated because the ICE has to take the time to investigate and consume more resources to return to the community, sometimes on the police,” Akuna said. The second or third arrest of a person refused by the Chief Office to work with our detainees.”
Acuna said they are evaluating their choices for better collaboration.
“We’re working hard every day,” Akuna said. “It’s been a problem in the field since 2013.”
Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office declined to be interviewed by CBS News, but Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams said the parish had only been with ICE in the event of undocumented immigrants accused of violent crimes. cooperate. Williams believes New Orleans continues to follow the sanctuary city policy.
“Yes, I don’t think tolerance or the way New Orleans shows love will change, it’s just because of the changes in the government,” Williams said.
Gracey hopes to keep her family together without any change, despite everything, she says she still believes she is “in the right place.”
“Even if part of the system, they don’t support us, they don’t want us here, there are a lot of really good people here,” Grace said. “And I feel I’m in the right place.”
