Donald Trump to target New Orleans as next target for immigration crackdown, say sources

President Donald Trump’s administration intends to focus on New Orleans in the next stage of its city-to-city immigration crackdown, one current and two former U.S. immigration officials said on Friday (November 21, 2025), confirming plans reported earlier this month.

“U.S. Border Patrol agents could arrive in the Southern city as soon as Saturday (November 22, 2025), and the operation could run into January,” the official said, requesting anonymity to discuss plans. Operations were expected to decrease over the Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday (November 20, 2025) and Christmas, the official added.

New Orleans, with a population of around 384,000, would be the latest city with a Democratic Mayor targeted in President Trump’s mass deportation push. Since the summer, federal immigration officials have surged to Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington, sparking criticism over aggressive tactics and arrests of non-criminals.

“The deployment in New Orleans would follow an operation in Charlotte, North Carolina, led by U.S. Border Patrol’s roving commander Gregory Bovino.” Local officials said on Thursday (November 20, 2025) that the operation had concluded, while the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said it would continue.

Reuters and other outlets reported earlier this month that Mr. Bovino planned to take the enforcement push to New Orleans after Charlotte. A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees Border Patrol, declined to comment on future actions in Charlotte or New Orleans.

New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said in a statement that she welcomed the arrival of Border Patrol, but the Department would not take part in immigration arrests. The office of New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell, a Democrat, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.