BATON ROUGE — The Trump administration will direct 250 border agents to New Orleans in the coming weeks for a two-month immigration enforcement operation in Louisiana and Mississippi, according to the Associated Press.
The goal of what’s being called “Swamp Sweep” is to make 5,000 arrests, according to government documents the AP obtained and information from three sources familiar with the operation.
In addition to New Orleans, Agents are expected to take part in enforcement operations in and around Baton Rouge as well as in southern Mississippi.
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The agents are expected to arrive in New Orleans on Dec. 1. The deployment follows similar actions involving Department of Homeland Security personnel in Los Angeles, Chicago and most recently Charlotte, North Carolina.
New Orleans Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick told WBOK-AM Tuesday morning she will take part in a briefing with U.S. Customs and Border Protection to learn more about the deployment.
“I have no control, nor does anyone in this city have control over whether or not Border Patrol will be here,” Kirkpatrick said. “They are coming, so I am going to be a partner.”
The police chief said her officers will not take part in any “removals” but will respond to assist federal agents “if they need help because of safety.”
Editor’s Note: The following article from author Greg LaRose was originally published by the Louisiana Illuminator, an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization with a mission to cast light on how decisions in Baton Rouge are made and how they affect the lives of everyday Louisianians.
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