As Louisiana’s Operation Catahoula Crunch enters its second week, the usual leftist backlash is stirring among protestors, politicians, and the media.
U.S. Senator John Kennedy, R-Louisiana, called them all out for being excessively “ferociously woke.”
“Legal immigration is legal, and illegal immigration is illegal—duh,” Kennedy wrote on X. “President Trump sent federal officials to New Orleans to enforce the law because some local politicians, who majored in online activism with a minor in puberty blockers, won’t.”
Legal immigration is legal, and illegal immigration is illegal—duh.
President Trump sent federal officials to New Orleans to enforce the law because some local politicians, who majored in online activism with a minor in puberty blockers, won’t. pic.twitter.com/WPEoSN0tW0
— John Kennedy (@SenJohnKennedy) December 8, 2025
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said the immigration blitz, dubbed “Catahoula Crunch,” could last two months and target criminal illegal aliens.
Several hundred agents from U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement are now present in New Orleans and southeast Louisiana.
DHS picked the Big Easy because criminal illegal aliens are “roaming free thanks to sanctuary policies that force local authorities to ignore U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrest detainers,” DHS said.
DHS issued an update on the operation this week and released names and mugshots of some of the worst offenders. Border Patrol and ICE agents have made dozens of arrests in the Big Easy, including rapists, thieves, gang members, human smugglers and abusers.
“It is asinine that these monsters were released back onto New Orleans streets to COMMIT MORE CRIMES and create more victims,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, we are restoring law and order for the American people.”
Catahoula Crunch targets include violent criminals who were released after arrest for home invasion, armed robbery, grand theft auto and rape.
The department highlighted the arrest of Jorge Vierra-Serrano, a criminal illegal alien from Cuba convicted for forcible rape and aggravated battery. He was previously arrested for aggravated battery and a traffic offense. He attempted to evade justice by taking advantage of sanctuary laws, DHS said.
“ANOTHER RAPIST LOCKED UP,” DHS wrote on X. “If you’re a criminal illegal alien, it does not matter where you’re from — we are SENDING YOU BACK.”
Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino is on the ground in New Orleans and spotlighted some recent arrests on social media, included an aggravated felon with a history of strangulation, battery, and child domestic abuse.
🚨 CRUNCH TIME IN THE CRESCENT CITY! 🚨
Operation Catahoula Crunch just brought the hammer down in New Orleans, making the "Big Easy" a little tougher for those who prey on the vulnerable!
Our dedicated agents apprehended an aggravated felon whose disturbing history includes:… pic.twitter.com/aglyMcpdpB
— Commander Op At Large CA Gregory K. Bovino (@CMDROpAtLargeCA) December 8, 2025
“His reign of terror has officially hit a ‘crunch’ point—no more endangering the innocent,” Bovino said.
People seem to love or hate Bovino when he rolls into town. He shared a video to X showing ICE detainees as well as people who wanted to take a photo with him.
“Our mission has brought us to the Big Easy, where we are rolling hard and there is NO sanctuary for illegal aliens. The Mean Green Team is here; illegal aliens in the Crescent City have been put on notice,” he wrote.
Our mission has brought us to the Big Easy, where we are rolling hard and there is NO sanctuary for illegal aliens.
The Mean Green Team is here; illegal aliens in the Crescent City have been put on notice.#DHS #CBP #USBP #BorderPatrol #OpCatahoulaCrunch #NewOrleans #NOLA pic.twitter.com/kxbUQsu1kT
— Commander Op At Large CA Gregory K. Bovino (@CMDROpAtLargeCA) December 5, 2025
In a letter dated Friday, Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill wrote to New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick and directed the agency to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.
Murill said the department’s policies appear to conflict with state law and could be interpreted as “sanctuary” policies.
“As Superintendent of NOPD you are responsible for the issuance and implementation of departmental policies,” the letter to Kirkpatrick states. “Policies that fundamentally require officers and employees to refuse to cooperate with ICE except in very limited circumstances violate Louisiana law and could subject the offender to felony prosecution for malfeasance.”
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, who is from Louisiana, is among the state’s Republicans supporting the crackdown. “Democrats’ sanctuary city policies have failed — making our American communities dangerous. The people of our GREAT city deserve better, and help is now on the ground,” Johnson posted on social media.
Louisiana stands with the brave DHS agents arriving in New Orleans to restore safety, security, and order.
Democrats’ sanctuary city policies have failed – making our American communities dangerous. The people of our GREAT city deserve better, and help is now on the ground.… https://t.co/ramw0ZqDza
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) December 4, 2025
Kennedy shared a segment from his appearance on Fox News’ “The Sunday Briefing” in support of the effort.
“Many of the local politicians are friends of mine, but we just disagree,” Kennedy said on the broadcast. “They think vetting people at the border is racist. They’re entitled to their opinion, but they’ve got to follow the law. And all we’re doing is enforcing the law. The best way to avoid ICE is don’t be in our country illegally.”
Kennedy didn’t stop with the politicians. He also criticized the city’s largest newspaper, The Times-Picayune, and the George Soros-owned WWL Radio for pushing the woke agenda.
“They keep saying ‘No one’s above the law. No one’s above the law,’” Kennedy said. “If no one is above the law, how come folks in our country illegally are? Why don’t we just enforce the law and if you don’t agree with it go change it.”
With federal agents visible in the city, it didn’t take long for the anti-ICE contingent to start causing problems.
The operation, referred to by protesters as “Swamp Sweep,” has prompted protests by immigrant rights groups, social media response teams and unrest at city hall.
A group of 20-30 anti-ICE agitators stormed the New Orleans council meeting on Thursday and remained in the chamber despite repeated orders to clear the room.
They shouted at officials and clashed with police, denouncing the immigration enforcement blitz planned across southeast Louisiana. Council members suspended the meeting and walked out, leaving protesters to take over the room with some being forcibly removed, Fox News Digital reported.
It’s also spurring the usual biased media reports, including from The Associated Press. The outlet wrote about accusations of “intelligence gathering” by state and federal authorities, while also reporting the AP identified “only nine of the 38 people arrested in the first days as having criminal histories that rose beyond traffic violations.”
In another article, the AP questioned DHS’s target of at least 5,000 arrests in southeast Louisiana. Violent crimes, including murders, rapes and robberies, have fallen by 12% through October compared to a year ago, the outlet reported.
“There is no rational basis that a sweep of New Orleans, or the surrounding parishes, would ever yield anywhere near 5,000 criminals, let alone ones that are considered ‘violent’ by any definition,” New Orleans City Council President J.P. Morrell told the AP.
