Anti-ICE Protesters Disrupt New Orleans City Council Amid Federal Immigration Operation
NEW ORLEANS, La. — A New Orleans city council meeting descended into chaos on December 4, 2025, when anti-ICE protesters stormed the chambers, vocally opposing a new federal immigration enforcement initiative. The disruption forced council members to abruptly suspend the meeting and leave as demonstrators clashed with police and refused to vacate the premises.
The unrest coincided with the launch of Operation Catahoula Crunch, a two-month federal initiative deploying 250 Border Patrol agents to New Orleans and surrounding areas. The operation aims to target “criminal illegal aliens roaming free thanks to sanctuary policies,” according to the Department of Homeland Security. The intensified enforcement has sparked widespread backlash from immigrant rights groups and local activists, who have dubbed the campaign the “Swamp Sweep.”
Protesters began gathering outside City Hall early Thursday morning, chanting through megaphones and holding signs condemning the federal crackdown. When officers allowed demonstrators into the council chambers, tensions escalated quickly. Several protesters attempted to address the council from the podium but were cut off, as their comments were deemed unrelated to the meeting’s agenda.
Shouts of “Shame!” and “Coward!” echoed through the chamber, prompting council members to suspend the session and exit the room. Roughly 30 to 40 protesters remained inside despite repeated police orders to clear the space. New Orleans Police Department officers then began escorting demonstrators out, leading to a tense confrontation in which one protester was physically carried from the chamber.
Witnesses reported that the removal of the protester sparked outrage among the crowd, with one woman shouting, “You don’t drag people out like that — it’s criminal.” Another protester confronted officers near the chamber doors, demanding, “Our people are under attack, and you drag him out? Who do you work for?”
Outside City Hall, activists continued their vocal opposition, flipping off officers and shouting obscenities while police maintained their positions behind barricades. Despite the intensity of the confrontation, no arrests or detentions had been reported as of Thursday afternoon.
Inside the chamber, protesters chanted slogans such as “No ICE! No KKK! No racist USA!” The scene underscored the deep divisions surrounding immigration enforcement policies in sanctuary cities like New Orleans.
The Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency has faced increasing resistance in jurisdictions that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities. Operation Catahoula Crunch represents a significant federal effort to counteract sanctuary policies that prevent local law enforcement from honoring ICE detainers.
As federal agents continue their deployment in the region, local officials and community activists remain at odds over the balance between public safety and immigrant rights. The disruption at the city council meeting highlights the growing tensions and challenges that lie ahead as immigration enforcement intensifies in Southeast Louisiana.
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