U.S. Border Patrol agents look on, Monday, Nov. 17, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley)2025-11-30T14:03:45Z NEW ORLEANS (AP) Around 250 federal border agents are expected to launch a monthslong immigration crackdown on Monday in southeast Louisiana and into Mississippi dubbed Swamp Sweep. The deployment, which aims to arrest 5,000 people, is centered in liberal New Orleans and is the latest federal immigration enforcement operation to target a Democratic-run city as President Donald Trumps administration pursues its mass deportation agenda.Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino, who has led aggressive operations in Chicago, Los Angeles and Charlotte, North Carolina, is expected to helm the campaign.Many in the greater New Orleans area, particularly in Latino communities, have been on edge since the planned operations were reported earlier this month, even as Republican Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry said he welcomes the federal agents.Heres what to know about Swamp Sweep. Border Patrol accused of aggressive tactics in blue citiesBovino has become the Trump administrations go-to operative for leading large-scale, high-profile immigration enforcement campaigns. During his operation in Chicago, federal agents rappelled from a helicopter into a residential apartment complex and fired pepper balls and tear gas at protesters.Federal agents arrested more than 3,200 immigrants during a surge in the Chicago area in recent months, but have not provided many details. Court documents on roughly 600 recent arrests showed that only a handful had criminal records representing a high public safety risk, according to federal government data. Stay up to date with the news and the best of AP by following our WhatsApp channel. Follow on Border Patrol, which does not typically operate in dense urban areas or in situations with protesters, has been accused of heavy-handed tactics, prompting several lawsuits. Earlier this month, a federal judge in Chicago accused Bovino of lying and rebuked him for deploying chemical irritants against protesters. Bovino has doubled down on the efficacy of his agencys operations.Were finding and arresting illegal aliens, making these communities safer for the Americans who live there, he said in a post on X. Louisiana has strict immigration enforcement lawsThe Department of Justice has accused New Orleans of undermining federal immigration enforcement and included it on a list of 18 so-called sanctuary cities. The citys jail, which has been under longstanding oversight from a federal judge, does not cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement under most circumstances, and its police department views immigration enforcement as a civil matter outside its jurisdiction.However, Louisianas Republican-dominated Legislature has passed laws to compel New Orleans agencies to align with the Trump administrations hard-line immigration stance. One such law makes it a crime to knowingly do something intended to hinder, delay, prevent, or otherwise interfere with or thwart federal immigration enforcement efforts. Anyone who violates the law could face fines and up to a year of jail time.Additionally, lawmakers expanded the crime of malfeasance in office, which is punishable by up to 10 years in jail, for government officials who refuse to comply with requests from agencies like ICE. It also prohibits police and judges from releasing from their custody anyone who illegally entered or unlawfully remained in the U.S. without providing advance notice to ICE. New Orleans awaits federal agentsIn and around New Orleans, some immigration lawyers say they have been inundated with calls from people trying to prepare for the upcoming operation. One immigration lawyer, Miguel Elias, says his firm is conducting many consultations virtually or by telephone because people are too afraid to come in person.He likens the steps many in the immigrant community are taking to what people do to prepare for a hurricane hunker down or evacuate. Families are stocking up on groceries and making arrangements for friends to take their children to school to limit how frequently they leave the house, he said.In the days leading up to Border Patrols planned operations, businesses have posted signs barring federal agents from entry and grassroots advocacy groups have offered rights-related trainings and workshops on documenting the planned crackdown. While New Orleans is famous for its blend of cultures, only around 6.7% of its population of nearly 400,000 is foreign-born, though that rises to almost 10% in neighboring metro areas. Thats still well below the national average of 14.3%, according to U.S. census data.The citys Hispanic population ballooned during rebuilding efforts following Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and now makes up around 14% of the population, according to census data compiled by New Orleans-based Data Center.The Pew Research Center estimates 110,000 immigrants who lack permanent legal status were living in Louisiana as of 2023, comprising approximately 2.4% of the states population. Most of them are from Honduras.Amanda Toups, who owns local restaurant Toups Meatery and runs a nonprofit to help feed neighbors in need, said she expects the federal operations to negatively impact the citys tourism-dependent economy, which supports the rest of Louisiana. If youre scaring off even 5% of tourism, thats devastating, she said. Youre brown and walking around in town somewhere and you could get tackled by ICE and youre an American citizen? Does that make you want to travel to New Orleans?___Santana reported from Washington, D.C. and Cline reported from Baton Rouge, Louisiana.___Brook is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. JACK BROOK Brook covers Louisiana government, infrastructure and environmental issues from New Orleans. He is a Report for America corps member. twitter mailto REBECCA SANTANA Santana covers the Department of Homeland Security for The Associated Press. She has extensive experience reporting in such places as Russia, Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. twitter mailto