Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill has told New Orleans Police Department leadership to cooperate with federal immigration agents after a major enforcement sweep, arguing local policies may clash with state law; the move has stirred protests, legal warnings and a tense political debate over public safety and sanctuary-style limits.
In a blunt letter to NOPD leadership, the attorney general flagged department practices that could be read as shielding illegal immigrants from federal enforcement and urged a course correction to match state statutes. She did not mince words about the responsibility of local law enforcement to line up with federal immigration efforts. “NOPD must ‘use best efforts to support the enforcement of federal immigration law,'” the letter states.
The AG went further in asking for an immediate operational shift from commanders on the street. “At this time, I recommend that you immediately direct NOPD officers and staff to fully cooperate with ICE and CBP,” she added, making clear the expectation is for clear, day-to-day coordination. That instruction comes after a federal operation led to dozens of arrests and questions about whether local policies were obstructing federal agents.
State lawmakers already acted in 2024 to bar localities from adopting sanctuary-style rules, and the attorney general reminded NOPD that policy choices carry legal weight. “As Superintendent of NOPD you are responsible for the issuance and implementation of departmental policies,” the letter to Kirkpatrick states. “Policies that fundamentally require officers and employees to refuse to cooperate with ICE except in very limited circumstances violate Louisiana law and could subject the offender to felony prosecution for malfeasance.”
The federal initiative under way, dubbed Operation Catahoula Crunch by officials, deploys roughly 250 Border Patrol agents to New Orleans for a two-month effort to remove criminal illegal aliens. Local reaction has been fierce, with immigrant rights groups and activists calling the sweep intrusive and organizing protests. The operation has become a flashpoint, and protesters have referred to it as “Swamp Sweep,” amplifying the political heat around enforcement choices.
Tensions spilled into city government, where a recent New Orleans City Council meeting erupted after anti-ICE protesters stormed chambers and confronted officials. Scenes of chanting and clashes with police underscored the divide between activists calling for limits on federal detainers and officials who prioritize public safety concerns. Those confrontations have kept immigration and enforcement issues at the center of local political coverage and public meetings.
From a law-and-order perspective, the attorney general’s intervention is straightforward: when federal agents identify criminal aliens, local police should not be in the business of blocking enforcement that protects residents. Cooperation between local police and ICE or CBP is framed here as a basic public safety tool, not a partisan stunt. Conservatives arguing for stronger enforcement see this as a necessary correction to policies that let dangerous individuals slip through the cracks.
The coming days will test how NOPD balances community trust with legal duty and state pressure, and the situation will influence broader debates about immigration policy in cities across the country. City leaders now face a choice between aligning departmental rules with state law or defending practices that critics say obstruct federal law enforcement. The attorney general has signaled she is ready to act if policies continue to violate Louisiana statutes, and that warning alone has already reshaped the conversation in New Orleans.
