The federal immigration operation in New Orleans continued this week as agents with U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Border Patrol arrested more than 250 people, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said.
DHS officials described the effort, known as Operation Catahoula Crunch, as focused on removing “dangerous criminals” from the streets. The department has resisted releasing a complete list of all people arrested, instead providing smaller sample lists. CBS News analyzed publicly released information and found that detailed data has been shared about only a fraction of the total arrests.
According to CBS News reporting, public details are available for 23 of the roughly 250 people DHS says were arrested since the operation began. Of those 23, eight are described as having convictions, 15 as having only been arrested on allegations, and nine were identified as Honduran nationals. Among the convictions listed in the sample are serious offenses including homicide and rape; lesser offenses reported include a marijuana possession conviction and an arrest for public urination. DHS has said the operation targets noncitizens with criminal records, but the department has not made a full roster public.
The lack of comprehensive public information has prompted calls for more transparency from local and state officials who say residents are fearful and confused. Louisiana Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser, a Republican, urged the administration to clarify why some people who appear to have legitimate reasons to be in the city—such as workers in their homes—are being taken into custody, and said the activity has created fear among people who are legally present and working.
Local officials and community members have also reported incidents suggesting U.S. enforcement agents have approached people who may not be undocumented. Early in the week, video circulated showing a woman running from agents as they approached. Additional reports detail Customs and Border Protection approaching workers who were legally authorized to work: in one incident reported by CBS affiliate WWL, two men who showed paperwork were handcuffed, put into an unmarked vehicle, driven around the block and then released. A restaurant manager told WWL the episode unnerved customers and staff; the workers’ family later said they were too shaken to speak on camera.
DHS released statements defending the operation and arguing that so-called sanctuary policies in New Orleans have endangered citizens and visitors. The operation remains ongoing, and DHS has said arrested individuals could be sent to various detention facilities along the Gulf Coast while removal proceedings continue. Local leaders continue to press for clearer data about who has been detained, the charges involved, and the destinations for those held.