(NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA) A major federal immigration sweep in the New Orleans area that began in early December 2025 is sending fear through classrooms as students worry that a parent, older sibling, or even they themselves could be taken away without warning. The enforcement push, called Operation Catahoula Crunch, started the week of December 5 and brought over 250 federal agents into New Orleans and southeast Louisiana for wide arrests at homes, workplaces, and public places, including areas near schools, according to the reporting and planning documents described in the coverage.
Scope and stated goals of the operation
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the effort is aimed at “the worst of the worst,” a phrase the department has used in past crackdowns to describe people with serious criminal records. But planning documents cited in the reports set a target of 5,000 arrests over two months, a scale that suggests a broad net that can reach far beyond people convicted of violent crimes. Agents have fanned out to parking lots, construction sites, and routine check-ins.
Where arrests are occurring
Families and local advocates say the way agents are working is part of what is hitting students hardest. Arrests have been reported at everyday locations, such as:
- In and around homes
- Job sites and construction areas
- Public places like Home Depot parking lots where many day laborers wait for work
- Areas near schools and school campuses
These everyday locations mean arrests affect routines—work, school drop-offs and pickups, grocery shopping—and can create sudden, destabilizing losses of parents or caregivers.
Community response and fears
Homero López, legal director for the New Orleans-based Immigration Services and Legal Advocacy (ISLA), said the operation is reaching people who are not dangerous and is ripping people out of daily life. He argued that agents are “targeting whoever they can,” that racial profiling has been allowed by the Supreme Court, and that the tactics remove “neighbors, friends, family members” from communities.
“The threat alone can keep families from going to work, buying groceries, or taking children to school, because any trip can feel like a risk.” — Homero López
Advocates describe how rumors of nearby arrests spread quickly and change a school morning: a child may not know if a parent who leaves for work will return for pickup, or whether a family member with a pending case will be detained at a scheduled appointment.
Impact on students and schools
Accounts in the coverage describe agents working close enough to schools that students can see enforcement activity and carry that stress into the classroom. One interviewee, Alto, described seeing ICE officers “setting up around schools,” a detail advocates say can create lasting fear for children already living with uncertainty.
Even when a child is not directly detained, advocates say the sight of agents near a campus, or a classmate suddenly disappearing, can trigger:
- Panic and acute anxiety
- Shame and social isolation
- Disrupted concentration and learning
There are no specific studies or local data as of December 2025 that measure the mental health impact of this operation on New Orleans-area students. However, child trauma experts and school staff in many cities have long warned that family separation fears can show up as:
- Headaches and stomach aches
- Trouble sleeping
- Sudden drops in grades or attendance
Local advocates note the absence of neat datasets does not mean there is no harm. It may reflect that families are too afraid to report what is happening, or that effects unfold quietly over weeks as children try to keep up with school while bracing for the next knock at the door.
Economic and social ripple effects
Operation Catahoula Crunch has sharpened a familiar tension between federal enforcement and local community trust in a city with deep immigrant roots and a large service and construction workforce. When agents show up at work sites or public parking lots:
- Employers can lose workers overnight
- Families can lose income while bills (rent, food) continue
- Parents may avoid contacting school staff, counselors, or police for help for fear that sharing an address or name could lead to enforcement
Analysis by VisaVerge.com highlights how these “chilling effects” often spread faster than official details. Families trade warnings via text and word of mouth, and a single arrest near a school can change how thousands of children perceive safety in their community.
Public reaction and civic pushback
As the operation moved through the metro area, public anger spilled into the streets. Reported actions include:
- A rally at the JW Marriott in New Orleans where Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino was seen; demonstrators held signs denouncing ICE and the Border Patrol and highlighted the impact on long-term residents.
- Testimony and concern raised at a New Orleans City Council hearing, where officials discussed the operation’s scope and residents pressed leaders to respond to what they described as sweeping arrests and growing fear.
Resources for families seeking detained relatives
For families trying to locate a detained relative, lawyers and advocates often point them to official tools rather than social media rumors. The federal government’s public locator can confirm whether someone is in ICE custody and where they are being held, though it does not answer deeper questions about bond, release, or legal options.
- Official site: ICE Online Detainee Locator System
- Advocates urge families to gather:
- Correct full names
- Dates of birth
- Any “A-number” (alien registration number), if available
Mistakes in names or dates can lead to dead ends and more panic, so accurate information is critical.
How families and schools are adapting
The operation’s scale, location choices, and reported presence near schools have left educators and immigrant parents asking: How do children learn when they must stay on alert? In many households, students take on adult roles to cope, including:
- Reminding parents not to drive if a license is expired
- Caring for younger siblings
- Keeping copies of important phone numbers in case a parent is detained
Even as federal officials say the focus is on public safety, the stories from Operation Catahoula Crunch illustrate how an enforcement push aimed at adults can still land on children—affecting classrooms where the day’s lesson competes with the fear of who might be missing at home when the final bell rings.
The New Orleans area is experiencing ‘Operation Catahoula Crunch,’ a massive federal immigration enforcement effort that began in early December 2025. With a goal of 5,000 arrests, the sweep has targeted homes, job sites, and areas near schools. This has resulted in widespread community panic, student anxiety, and economic disruption, as advocates accuse federal agencies of broad profiling rather than strictly focusing on violent criminals.
