New Orleans residents say they are no strangers to crisis. From Hurricane Katrina to the BP oil spill, a major hotel collapse, a brutal pandemic surge and a terror attack during the 2025 New Year’s celebrations, the city has repeatedly tested its resilience. Now immigrants and community organizers are preparing for a planned Border Patrol enforcement operation led by Gregory Bovino and an estimated 250 federal agents expected to begin the first week of December, according to sources familiar with the planning.
Advocates and residents describe preparations that resemble hurricane readiness: stocking up on groceries, staying home and minimizing travel to avoid encountering law enforcement. Rachel Taber, a volunteer with the immigrant-led group Unión Migrante, said the community is "feeling absolute panic and terrified."
Local impact: workers, businesses and services
About 23,400 immigrants — roughly 6.5% of New Orleans' population — live in the city, Census data show, with more than half being noncitizens and about half from Latin America. Organizers emphasize that immigrant workers staff restaurants, hotels and other services that sustain millions of annual visitors and are central to the city's economy and culture.
At Tia Maria’s Kitchen, owner Jose Almendares, a Honduran DACA recipient, said his staff have been reluctant to come to work amid rumors of Border Patrol activity. "People are scared and they're hiding," he said, adding that he has been training employees on their rights and urging them to contact attorneys if confronted by federal agents. That fear has forced businesses to reduce hours or close shifts, increasing stress on owners who are already operating on thin margins.
Grocery owner Ingrid Ferguson, who runs five stores specializing in Central American goods, said daily revenue has dropped nearly 50% as customers stay home. She has begun offering free delivery and is considering temporarily closing most locations if staffing shortages continue. A Mexico-born construction firm owner, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said several projects are stalled because skilled immigrant tradespeople are not reporting to work.
Community organizing and legal preparedness
Nonprofits and volunteers have mobilized swiftly. El Centro and other neighborhood groups have distributed more than 1,500 "whistle kits" — whistles, instructions and Know Your Rights cards — and are training residents on how to respond if they observe enforcement actions. Unión Migrante and allied groups have organized free legal consultations, helped families prepare powers of attorney and custody documents, and assisted parents in obtaining passports for U.S. citizen children should reunification require travel.
“This city is filled with people who have deep culture, deep roots in organizing,” said Mich Gonzalez, a founding member of the Southeast Dignity Not Detention coalition, citing a long history of mutual aid after slow federal responses to past disasters.
Political backdrop and official statements
Officials say the operation aligns with a broader administration commitment to stepped-up immigration enforcement. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said, "For the safety and security of law enforcement, we’re not going to telegraph potential operations." Gregory Bovino, the Border Patrol official named in planning reports, has previously led targeted enforcement efforts in cities across the Gulf Coast region.
Mayor-elect Helena Moreno, born in Mexico, said she has received little advance information from federal officials and is monitoring the situation closely. "You have parents who are scared to send their children to school," she said. Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry has publicly encouraged stronger enforcement and welcomed ICE actions aimed at removing individuals he described as dangerous or criminal.
Legal and public-safety debate
Local immigration attorney Marco Balducci questioned the public-safety rationale for a mass enforcement operation, calling it a pretext if the stated goal is community safety rather than immigration enforcement. The New Orleans Police Department reported a 20% decline in violent crime in the first quarter of 2025 compared with the same period in 2024, a statistic cited by critics who argue criminal law enforcement would be the appropriate tool if public safety were the primary concern.
Organizers say the city’s immigrant population — many of whom fled violence or persecution — came seeking refuge and economic opportunity. Now, as the prospect of enforcement spreads anxiety, neighbors and community groups are mobilizing to protect vulnerable residents and maintain essential services.
