(NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA) New Orleans Mayor-elect Helena Moreno, a Democrat and Mexican-American immigrant, is racing to prepare her city’s immigrant communities as a large Border Patrol operation known as “Operation Swamp Sweep” is expected to move into New Orleans and neighboring parts of Mississippi. Federal officials have shared only limited information about the plan, but local leaders expect around 250 Border Patrol agents to take part, with a goal of about 5,000 arrests across southeast Louisiana and Mississippi, making it one of the most aggressive immigration enforcement actions to reach the region under President Trump.
Moreno’s stance and limits of authority
Moreno, who was born in Mexico and will soon become the first Mexican-American mayor of New Orleans, has little direct control over federal enforcement decisions. Still, she is pulling every lever she can reach from City Hall to try to soften the impact on families who have built their lives in the metro area.
She has made clear that she does not support the operation and that her priority is to “protect people” who could be swept up, especially long-time residents with deep ties to the city’s economy and schools.
Immediate actions: legal outreach and community preparedness
One of Moreno’s first public moves was to turn to social media. On Instagram, she shared legal resources for immigrants and urged residents to learn about their rights when dealing with federal agents.
She framed basic legal knowledge as a kind of shield, saying that reports from other cities gave her reason to worry. In her message, Moreno warned that:
“Reports of due process violations and potential abuses in other cities are concerning. We must demand accountability and that peoples’ rights are not violated.”
The post circulated quickly in New Orleans, where many community members rely on Spanish-language digital networks instead of local television or newspapers.
Legal-community coordination
Alongside the online outreach, Moreno has pressed local lawyers and advocacy groups to step up. She has encouraged the legal community to prepare for a wave of people needing help with:
- Bond hearings
- Detention questions
- Family separation concerns
By calling on attorneys before the operation begins, she hopes to have a defense network ready if Border Patrol agents start making large numbers of arrests at homes, workplaces, or on the street. According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, similar rapid-response efforts in other cities have helped people assert their rights more quickly when confronted by federal officers.
Build a rapid legal-response plan now: list local immigration attorneys, bond-hearing contacts, and family-separation resources so defenders can mobilize quickly if arrests begin.
Human impact and community anxiety
The human anxiety behind these preparations is visible across New Orleans. Moreno told CNN that parents are already changing everyday routines because they fear contact with federal agents.
“You have parents who are scared to send their children to school,” she said, describing how routine school drop-offs suddenly feel dangerous to families without permanent status.
She added that her own church’s Spanish-speaking Sunday service “keeps getting smaller and smaller. People are really, really scared.”
Those shrinking pews have become an informal barometer of fear in a city where the Hispanic population has grown steadily in recent years.
Demographics and economic concerns
Local officials cite that between 130,000 and 140,000 Hispanic residents live in the New Orleans area. Many work in the service industry that supports tourism, restaurants, and hotels.
Community leaders warn that a broad enforcement push could ripple through the entire regional economy if workers:
- Stay home
- Lose their jobs
- Leave the state
Families also worry about what will happen to U.S.-born children if parents are taken into custody during the operation.
Know core rights regardless of status: stay silent, request a lawyer, and refuse entry without a proper warrant. Have translated summaries ready for non-English speakers.
Arrest targets, rumor, and uncertainty
While Moreno has not received detailed arrest criteria from Washington, the stated target of roughly 5,000 arrests has fueled rumors that people with old traffic tickets or minor offenses might be caught up together with those who have serious criminal records.
The gap between federal goals and local concerns has set up a clear political divide inside Louisiana.
Political divide: Moreno vs. Governor Landry
While Helena Moreno calls for caution and rights protections in New Orleans, Republican Governor Jeff Landry has openly welcomed the surge of Border Patrol agents.
On Fox News, Landry described New Orleans as “crime-ridden” and said on Monday:
“I’m welcoming them to come in. We’re going to take these dangerous criminals off the streets in Louisiana.”
His remarks did not distinguish between long-term residents with families and people with recent criminal convictions, drawing criticism from advocates who say the rhetoric paints all immigrants as threats.
Rights information and community messaging
Moreno’s approach draws from lessons of earlier operations in other cities, where reports surfaced of aggressive tactics and people being detained without clear information about their rights.
She has pointed directly to those accounts in urging New Orleans residents to be calm but prepared. Her public messages stress that people have the following rights — rights that apply no matter someone’s immigration status:
- The right to remain silent
- The right to ask for a lawyer
- The right to refuse entry to their homes if agents do not show a proper warrant
Community groups are translating those messages into Spanish and other languages spoken in the metro area and spreading them through churches, neighborhood meetings, and WhatsApp groups.
Limited federal transparency and local worries
New Orleans officials are operating with limited visibility. Moreno has said federal agencies have not provided a full playbook for Operation Swamp Sweep, leaving questions about which neighborhoods agents will focus on and whether they will coordinate any steps with local police.
City Hall has stressed that New Orleans police do not carry out federal immigration arrests, but residents still worry that local traffic stops or other contact with police could somehow feed information to Border Patrol.
For official federal information on immigration enforcement policies, the public is directed to the Department of Homeland Security website.
What City Hall is doing now
As the expected arrival date for Operation Swamp Sweep approaches, Helena Moreno is trying to balance warning people with avoiding panic. Her office is:
- Sharing legal contacts
- Urging parents to keep children in school
- Working with faith leaders who see fear rising in their congregations
Monitor official DHS updates and use verified channels for guidance; avoid spreading unverified rumors that could increase fear in communities.
For many immigrants in New Orleans, the days ahead feel uncertain — shaped by distant decisions but filtered through a mayor-elect who promises to stand with them firmly.
Helena Moreno, New Orleans’ mayor-elect, is preparing immigrant communities for a Border Patrol operation expected to bring about 250 agents and target roughly 5,000 arrests across southeast Louisiana and Mississippi. With limited federal details, City Hall is sharing legal resources, coordinating pro bono lawyers and faith leaders, and urging families to know their rights. Officials warn the action could disrupt the local economy and services, affecting an estimated 130,000–140,000 Hispanic residents and increasing anxiety among parents and workers.
