Dozens of people have been detained across the New Orleans area as the Trump administration’s latest large-scale federal immigration operation entered its second day, prompting fear, protests and allegations of racial profiling. Advocates told The Guardian that many immigrant families were in hiding as arrests took place in parking lots, on streets, at bus stops and outside major stores including Home Depot and Lowe’s.
Rachel Taber of Unión Migrante shared a video with The Guardian showing masked border patrol agents questioning and handcuffing a man in a Lowe’s parking lot. When asked where he was born, the man replied, “I’m a US citizen.” The agent repeated the question, including in Spanish, before instructing a colleague to handcuff him. Taber said she was aware of at least three cases in which US citizens were detained for questioning and later released after proving their citizenship. CNN separately reported the case of a 22-year-old US-born mother who said federal agents chased her home from a grocery store. “I kept yelling at them, ‘I’m legal! I’m a US-born citizen! Please, leave me alone!’” she told the channel.Taber said agents were “not picking up criminals,” adding, “They’re picking up people off the streets, whoever they can catch – these are moms and dads coming home from work.” She described the detentions as “psychological warfare” and alleged, “They’re attacking people who haven’t committed any crime, it’s just the color of their skin. It’s just straight racial profiling.”The department of homeland security has said only that “dozens” of people have been detained as part of “Operation Catahoula Crunch,” highlighting six cases. In one instance, the only listed conviction was for vehicle theft and forging documents. The Trump administration maintains it is targeting “the worst of the worst.”The operation has prompted community mobilisation, emergency carpools for children of parents too afraid to leave their homes, and growing backlash from local officials. A New Orleans city council meeting was disrupted for nearly 30 minutes as protesters demanded stronger protections. Activists held signs reading “silence supports deportation” and “immigrants built and rebuilt this city,” urging officials to designate city property as ICE-free zones. Tensions rose after council president JP Morrell suspended public comments, leading to chants of “let the people speak” before police removed protesters.Advocates say the impact is already widespread. Businesses have reportedly seen fewer customers, and some residents are staying home to avoid encounters with federal agents. Taber likened the operation to a “siege” and said families now face difficult choices over work, school and even paying rent. “There are kids this Christmas who are not just going to be without presents, they’re going to be without parents,” she said.
