New Orleans Mayor-elect Calls for Transparency in Border Patrol’s New Orleans Operation

NEW ORLEANS – As the new mayor-elect of New Orleans, Helena Moreno is demanding greater transparency and accountability from federal agents conducting a high-profile immigration enforcement operation in her city. Dubbed “Operation Catahoula Crunch,” the initiative by U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement aims to make thousands of arrests along the Mississippi River corridor, which includes parts of Louisiana, specifically targeting individuals for criminal or national security concerns.

Moreno, flanked by local figures including Rep. Troy Carter and former Mayor Marc Morial, highlighted during a press conference that she believes federal agents have miscommunicated their approach. She expressed concern over tactics allegedly targeting vulnerable populations without clear justification.

“Everything that you’ve been told about this operation is focused on the most violent individuals—the very ‘worst of the worst,'” Moreno stated. However, she emphasized that the reality appears to be different, describing situations where people were being stopped and detained seemingly arbitrarily.

Her criticisms center around several key points: a lack of transparency in operations, the need for clear public communication regarding encounters with Border Patrol agents, ensuring officers provide proper identification when making contact with citizens or workers, and preventing profiling based on race, ethnicity, immigration status, or language.