State and federal law enforcement agencies are conducting extensive online surveillance of public criticism and protests surrounding a major immigration enforcement operation in New Orleans, according to internal records obtained by The Associated Press. The operation, dubbed "Catahoula Crunch," has led to dozens of arrests but has been shrouded in secrecy, prompting calls for transparency from local officials.
Intelligence Gathering and Public Sentiment
Authorities are tracking message boards and social media discussions around the clock, compiling regular updates on public "sentiment" and looking for potential threats to agents. Briefings circulated among law enforcement note that online opinions remain mixed, with some supporting the sweeps while others oppose them. The monitoring has also flagged posts urging the public to record Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol agents and share locations where immigrants might be found.
This intelligence effort involves cooperation between multiple agencies. Both the FBI and Customs and Border Protection have agents stationed at the Louisiana State Analytical and Fusion Exchange, a data-sharing center. This center is closely following discussions on platforms like Reddit, where residents exchange information about the raids. One briefing highlighted that critics "bring up past hurricanes and the work done by immigrants" in their aftermath.
Disconnect Between Rhetoric and Reality
While immigration authorities and Republican leaders, including Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, have framed "Catahoula Crunch" as a mission to apprehend "criminal illegal aliens," the law enforcement records tell a different story. Of the 38 people arrested in the operation's first two days, less than a third had any criminal history at all. Only nine had records that extended beyond minor traffic violations.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has publicly detailed only six arrests, all individuals with criminal histories, including convictions for homicide and sexual assault. The agency has not provided a full list of detainees or their records. DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin stated, "Americans should be able to live without fear of violent criminal illegal aliens harming them." However, local leaders argue the arrest data undermines this stated goal.
New Orleans City Council President J.P. Morrell expressed frustration over the lack of information sharing with the city. "If the goal was for them to come here and augment existing law enforcement, to pursue violent criminals or people with extensive criminal histories, why wouldn't you be more transparent about who you've arrested and why?" he asked. State Senator Royce Duplessis, a Democrat, said the operation confirms it is "not about public safety, it's about stoking chaos and fear and terrorizing communities."
Chilling Effect on Speech and Community Response
Local officials and activists have raised alarms that the online surveillance, combined with threats to charge anyone interfering with enforcement, could have a chilling effect on free speech. The fusion center's briefings have tracked activist tools like whistle distributions, trainings on filming federal agents, and the establishment of hotlines for reporting arrests.
Organizers say they will not be deterred. Rachel Taber, an organizer with Union Migrante, said, "They can monitor me all they want. We are not doing anything illegal." Beth Davis of Indivisible NOLA, which has organized some of the trainings noted by authorities, said it was "sad" that law enforcement seemed preoccupied with law-abiding citizens equipped with "nothing other than phones and whistles."
The operation, which involves several hundred federal agents and aims for up to 5,000 arrests over two months, continues to unfold under intense scrutiny and growing local opposition, highlighting deep divisions over immigration enforcement tactics and transparency.