The DHS operation known as “Catahoula Crunch” has led to more than 250 arrests in southeast Louisiana and aims for 5,000 nationwide. In Kenner — a largely Hispanic suburb of New Orleans — some detained parents were caregivers and primary earners, forcing teenagers like 18-year-old Jonathan Escalante to care for younger siblings, access medical records and manage finances. Officials are split: Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser criticized the raids for hurting the local economy, while Kenner’s police chief praised them as a public-safety step. Advocates say the sweeps resemble a dragnet and have mobilized legal aid and emergency custody planning for affected families.
‘I’m Technically the Adult Now’: Immigration Raids in Kenner Leave Teens Caring for Siblings
Jonathan Escalante stands over the broken window of his mother's car, which was shattered by federal immigration agents who took her away, during a federal immigration crackdown in Kenner, La., Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Vilma Cruz, a 38-year-old Honduran house painter and mother of two, had just arrived at the newly leased home her family planned to move into when federal agents surrounded her vehicle and forced entry by breaking a passenger-side window. She managed a quick call to her oldest son before officers took her into custody.
Her detention is part of a sweeping immigration enforcement operation dubbed “Catahoula Crunch,” which the Department of Homeland Security says aims to arrest 5,000 people nationwide. DHS reported more than 250 arrests across southeast Louisiana this month as part of the operation, which has also included actions in Los Angeles, Chicago and Charlotte, North Carolina.
Young People Stepping Into Caregiver Roles
For some families in Kenner, a largely Hispanic suburb of New Orleans, the raids have removed primary caregivers and breadwinners from the home — forcing teenagers to assume adult responsibilities overnight. Eighteen-year-old U.S. citizen Jonathan Escalante is now trying to access his mother’s bank account, find his 9-year-old sister’s medical records and pay household bills while hoping his mother can be released.
“Honestly I’m not ready, having to take care of all of these responsibilities,” Escalante told The Associated Press. “But I’m willing to take them on if I have to. And I’m just praying that I get my mom back.”
Elsewhere in Kenner, a video shows agents removing Honduran father Jose Reyes from his car as his children screamed. Reyes’ family says he has lived in the U.S. for 16 years and is the primary provider; DHS said he had previously been deported and faced an unspecified felony allegation.
Official Positions and Local Reactions
DHS has described the operation as focused on violent offenders, but journalists reviewing arrest records found that a majority of people detained in the first two days had no criminal histories. Critics and immigrant-rights advocates say the raids have had a broad, dragnet-like effect on Hispanic neighborhoods and have led many people — including those with valid work authorization — to stay home for fear of arrest, causing labor shortages.
Louisiana Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser broke with members of his party to criticize the operation’s local impact, saying there needs to be clarity about whether parents with children will be taken and what protections exist for families left behind. In contrast, Kenner Police Chief Keith Conley praised the operation, calling it “a prayer answered” and pointing to local press releases that link crime to people identified as being in the U.S. illegally.
Community Response and Legal Assistance
Immigrant-advocacy groups and local organizations have mobilized to help families prepare contingency plans. Pro bono legal teams held events across the New Orleans region to assist parents with emergency custody arrangements, and groups such as the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) report receiving dozens of calls daily from worried families.
“Children are going to school unsure whether their parents will be home at the end of the day,” Raiza Pitre of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Louisiana told a Jefferson Parish council meeting. LULAC’s CEO Juan Proaño said his organization is helping families like Escalante’s to obtain legal guidance and to prepare for the possibility that detentions could last weeks, months or result in deportation.
Families say communication after arrests has often been limited. In the Reyes case, relatives reported they were not initially told where he was being held and have struggled to locate him and secure legal representation.
What’s Next
The operation is ongoing, and local leaders, advocates and residents are calling for clearer information about enforcement priorities and better safeguards for children and families affected by detentions. Meanwhile, teenagers in affected households are making immediate, difficult choices to keep their families afloat.
