A New Orleans City Council meeting exploded into turmoil Thursday as a wave of anti-ICE protesters stormed the chamber, their voices rising to drown out officials and challenge law enforcement. The disruption stemmed from the launch of “Operation Catahoula Crunch,” a large-scale federal immigration enforcement initiative now gripping southeast Louisiana.
The operation, announced Wednesday by the Department of Homeland Security, deploys 250 Border Patrol agents to New Orleans and surrounding parishes. Quickly dubbed “Swamp Sweep” by opponents, it ignited fierce backlash from immigrant rights groups and fueled mounting tension at City Hall.
Protesters began assembling outside City Hall around 9:30 a.m., a sea of signs and amplified voices denouncing the federal action. When authorities permitted them entry into the council chambers, the atmosphere immediately became charged with conflict.
Several protesters surged toward the podium, attempting to address the council, but were swiftly cut off as their concerns were deemed off-topic. A chorus of “Shame!” and “Coward!” erupted, escalating until council members abruptly suspended the meeting and retreated, leaving the room to the demonstrators.
Between thirty and forty protesters refused to leave, defying repeated police requests. Officers began physically escorting individuals out, and a particularly heated moment saw an officer carry a protester from the chamber as onlookers screamed in protest. “Shame on you! He’s a peaceful protester!” one woman cried, “You don’t drag people out like that—it’s criminal!”
Near the chamber doors, another protester confronted officers, demanding, “Our people are under attack and you drag him out? Who do you work for?” Outside, activists directed insults and obscenities at police stationed behind metal barricades. As of Thursday afternoon, no arrests or detentions had been reported.
Inside the abandoned chamber, a sustained chant reverberated: “No ICE! No KKK! No racist USA!” The intensity of the protest underscored the deep divisions surrounding the federal operation.
The Department of Homeland Security maintains that Operation Catahoula Crunch targets “criminal illegal aliens roaming free thanks to sanctuary policies.” Officials argue these policies endanger communities by allowing the release of individuals who should be held for ICE detainers.
Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin issued a strongly worded statement, condemning sanctuary policies and asserting it was “asinine” that individuals released back onto the streets had gone on to commit further crimes. The operation, she emphasized, focuses on offenders with histories of violent crimes like home invasion, armed robbery, and rape.
Thursday’s confrontation followed a Monday demonstration outside City Hall, where dozens gathered to voice opposition to the impending sweep. Speakers at that event described the operation as retraumatizing to immigrant communities, lamenting a lack of support and the presence of armed officers.
One demonstrator poignantly stated the community needed “housing, health care, real jobs, not soldiers.” Another, overcome with emotion, spoke of a deceased family member, declaring, “You can’t crush the flame of someone who’s already gone.”
Organizers vowed to continue demonstrating “for as long as Operation Swamp Sweep remains in effect,” accusing federal authorities and local police of targeting vulnerable communities. The operation is currently slated to last approximately two months, with no definitive end date announced.
