NEW ORLEANS – (WBAP/KLIF) – Federal immigration officials in ICE or Immigration and Customs Enforcement uniform have begun hitting the streets of New Orleans Wednesday; the Trump administration latest immigration crackdown across the nation that reportedly focuses on immigrants accused of violent crimes, but often ensnares a majority of law-abiding immigrants.
Federal agents have launched continued controversial immigration crackdowns in the cities of Chicago, Charlotte, N.C., with President Trump indicating Somalis, the majority of whom lived in the state of Minnesota, will be the next target. That state’s metro area of Minneapolis-St. Paul is believed to be current home to the world’s largest population of Somali immigrants, many of whom are already American citizens.
Enforcement tactics are met with protests and lawsuits challenging the aggressive force and how the arrests are being planned and executed.
Attorney General Pam Bondi accuses New Orleans officials of undermining federal immigration enforcement. Those offiicials deny the charge. City police maintain their position immigration enforcement is a civil matter outside that agency’s jurisdiction.
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry is politically aligned with President Trump, and says he expects National Guard members to arrive in New Orleans before Christmas, to mount efforts, in his words, “to combat crime”. A monthslong operation in southeast Lousiana and into Mississippi is expected. Federal officials say the goal in this region is to make the arrests of five thousand people.
A similar ICE sweep operation is expected to begin soon in the Minneapolis-St. Paul region, home to the world’s largest population of Somali refugees. President Donald Trump has said he does not want Somali immigrants in the US, telling reporters they should “go back to where they came from” and “their country is no good for a reason”. “I don’t want them in our country, I’ll be honest with you,” he said during a cabinet meeting on Tuesday. Trump said the US would “go the wrong way if we keep taking in garbage into our country”.
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