The AP's headline for this story is a little bit different than ours: "Multicultural New Orleans warily awaits arrival of 'Swamp Sweep' immigration crackdown." We doubt the entire city warily awaits the arrival of ICE. The AP reported last week:
New Orleans, a city that attracts millions of visitors from around the globe drawn to its jazz, Creole cuisine and lavish Mardi Gras parades, warily awaits the kick-off of an expansive, two-month immigration crackdown to arrest thousands of foreigners.
Around 250 federal agents are expected to arrive Friday and launch operations in earnest in December throughout southeast Louisiana.
Louisiana's Republican Governor Jeff Landry and other state officials have ratcheted up pressure on New Orleans with laws and legal challenges to compel its cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.
New Orleans police chief Anne Kirkpatrick said her officers will not participate in immigration removal, even as the department's longstanding federal oversight, which had shielded the department from engaging in immigration enforcement, ended Wednesday.
Here's Kirkpatrick last week saying that the New Orleans police will not be enforcing civil law:
Anne Kirkpatrick, the New Orleans police superintendent, says that "being in the country illegally is a civil issue and we will not enforce civil law". Crossing the border illegally is a crime under 8 U.S.C. § 1325. It is NOT a civil issue. Democrats do not know the law! pic.twitter.com/8J6WCK1QSe
— Kim "Katie" USA (@KimKatieUSA) November 25, 2025
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Oh, they certainly know the law. Their intent is not to enforce the law.
— 🇺🇸 America's Great (@Gunalizer) November 25, 2025
They like to play the being vs. entering game.
— Joel (@joelgaines) November 25, 2025
Yes, "being" as in overstaying your visa, is typically civil. ENTERING illegally is not civil. It's criminal under 8USC.
How about the bollards that were supposed to be installed on Bourbon Street prior to NYE last year on her watch? An "oversight" that led to 15 dead and 50 wounded.
— Gene Roy (@GeneRoyChicago) November 25, 2025
As our own Doug Powers reported on New Year's Day, 2025, a man drove a truck through a crowd celebrating New Year's on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, killing 15 people and injuring dozens more. The driver was identified as Shamsud Din Jabbar, and, according to a law enforcement source, he was carrying an ISIS flag.
Illegal entry (crossing the border without inspection) is a federal crime (misdemeanor for the first offense, felony if repeated). Statute: 8 U.S.C. § 1325 – “Improper entry by alien.” It is criminal.
— Austin-Based (@Austin__Based) November 25, 2025
They DO know the law, very well, they just count on their constituents NOT knowing it.
— Cindy Lake 🇺🇸 (@LakeCinbbc) November 25, 2025
Oh, they know the law. They just want to provide any excuse not to enforce it.
— Hank Rearden (@Atlas29Shrugged) November 25, 2025
Luckily, the federal government doesn't need her permission and she has no authority over them. Stand by folks.
— Organ O'Zukerkandl (@OOZukerkandl) November 25, 2025
As with any sanctuary city, the police department will simply refuse to assist ICE or honor ICE detainers.
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