Louisiana Attorney General Urges New Orleans Police to Cooperate with Federal Immigration Authorities

NEW ORLEANS, La. — December 5, 2025 — Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill has urged New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick to direct officers to fully cooperate with federal immigration authorities, following a recent federal enforcement operation that led to the arrest of dozens of criminal illegal immigrants.

In a letter dated Friday, Murrill expressed concern that the New Orleans Police Department’s current policies may conflict with Louisiana state law and could be interpreted as sanctuary policies, which generally restrict local law enforcement from assisting federal immigration agencies. The attorney general emphasized that the NOPD must “use best efforts to support the enforcement of federal immigration law.”

Murrill recommended that Kirkpatrick immediately instruct NOPD officers and staff to cooperate fully with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The letter noted that as superintendent, Kirkpatrick is responsible for issuing and implementing departmental policies, and that policies requiring officers to refuse cooperation with ICE except in limited circumstances violate state law. Such violations could potentially lead to felony prosecution for malfeasance.

The call for cooperation comes amid a major federal immigration crackdown in the Louisiana region. The Department of Homeland Security recently launched Operation Catahoula Crunch, a two-month initiative deploying 250 Border Patrol agents to New Orleans and surrounding areas. This operation aims to reduce the number of illegal immigrants in the region.

The federal enforcement effort has sparked protests and backlash from anti-ICE advocates. A New Orleans City Council meeting was disrupted by protesters opposing the deployment of federal immigration agents, resulting in clashes with police.

Louisiana enacted a law in 2024 banning jurisdictions from adopting sanctuary policies, reinforcing the attorney general’s position that local law enforcement agencies must cooperate with federal immigration authorities.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Superintendent Kirkpatrick, ICE, and CBP for comment.

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Alison Grant

Alison Grant writes about jobs, inflation, corporate power and household finances. She focuses on how economic trends show up in paychecks, bills and everyday decisions for workers, families and small business owners.

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