The U.S. Border Patrol is expected to launch a months-long immigration enforcement operation in New Orleans and Mississippi on Monday.
In an operation called “Swamp Sweep,” about 250 Border Patrol agents are aiming to arrest 5,000 people, the Associated Press reported.
Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino, who has led immigration enforcement operations in Chicago, Los Angeles and Charlotte, N.C., is expected to lead the operation.
The Justice Department has accused New Orleans officials of undermining federal immigration enforcement and named it one of 18 so-called sanctuary cities, which essentially do not assist the federal government in detaining illegal migrants for deportation.
The New Orleans jail, which has been under a federal judge’s longstanding oversight, does not cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in most circumstances, and its police department considers immigration enforcement a civil matter outside its jurisdiction.
Louisiana GOP Gov. Jeff Landry said he welcomes the Border Patrol agents.
Roughly 6.7% of New Orleans’ population of nearly 400,000 is foreign-born, which increases to almost 10% in neighboring metro areas.
