NEW ORLEANS (NewsNation) — Border Patrol agents continued to hit the streets of New Orleans this week as part of the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration.
On Wednesday, agents concentrated in the suburb of Kenner, where roughly 30% of the population is Hispanic.
NewsNation obtained exclusive video showing several arrests, including an incident in which several men tried to flee on a rooftop and allegedly later threw a bucket of nails at agents.
Officials have not yet released the total number of arrests. The Department of Homeland Security said the operation is focused on violent offenders released from jail and those in the U.S. illegally.
The Trump administration has said it hopes to arrest at least 5,000 people in New Orleans, though local officials argue that number is unrealistic.
National Guard to NOLA by Christmas: Louisiana Gov.
The administration said the operation, dubbed “Operation Catahoula Crunch,” is in response to a lack of coordination with local law enforcement.
The operation, which includes more than 200 U.S. Border Patrol agents, is overseen by Border Patrol chief Gregory Bovino. Bovino also ran federal immigration efforts this year in Los Angeles and Chicago, where he was met with opposition from state and local elected officials.
Incoming New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno, a Democrat, says residents are fearful and worried about potential racial profiling.
But Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, a Republican and ally of President Donald Trump, supports the effort and said he expects the National Guard to arrive in the city by Christmas.
Jason Houser, former chief of staff for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, told “Morning in America” Thursday that these operations follow similar patterns seen in Chicago and North Carolina.
He said that to show how they’re keeping communities safe, the administration should prioritize transparency around arrests — including detainees’ criminal backgrounds and who is being removed from the U.S.
Immigration crackdown expected to expand to Minnesota
Another operation is expected soon in Minnesota, targeting Somali immigrants. Several local outlets have reported federal immigration operations are underway in Minneapolis and St. Paul, home to the nation’s largest Somali population.
The administration has accused members of the Somali community of widespread financial fraud. President Donald Trump said this week that he does not want Somali migrants in the U.S. and said they have “destroyed Minnesota.”
“That beautiful state, it’s a hellhole right now, and those Somalians should be out of here,” Trump said. “They’ve destroyed our country.”
Trump comments are ‘intimidation’: Rep. Ilhan Omar
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., the first Somali-American elected to Congress, condemned Trump’s comments as “intimidation.”
The president has also ordered reviews of Somali green card approvals and threatened to end temporary protected status for Somalis in the state.
DHS: 400+ arrested in North Carolina operation
In Charlotte, North Carolina, the Department of Homeland Security said it has made more than 425 arrests as part of “Operation Charlotte’s Web,” in which officials are targeting what they describe as “dangerous criminal illegal aliens.”
The effort in Charlotte has continued despite earlier announcements from local officials suggesting it had ended.
NewsNation’s Jeff Arnold contributed to this report.