Congressman Carter Convenes Oversight Trip and Field Hearing to Fight Back Against ICE Tyranny in Louisiana and Across the Country

NEW ORLEANS, LA – Last week, Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-LA) and Congressman Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, convened a Democratic Field Hearing at City Council Chambers at City Hall in New Orleans. Congressman Carter and Ranking Member Thompson were joined by Congressman Seth Magaziner (D-RI) and Congressman Tim Kennedy (D-NY) to hear firsthand accounts of the Trump administration’s terror campaign on Louisiana communities.

“This hearing represented a crucial opportunity for the Homeland Security Committee to hear directly about those abuses and to understand the real impact on citizens and migrants alike since the Trump administration began its harsh immigration enforcement round-up. What we learned will help us investigate and hold this administration accountable for its actions,” said Rep. Carter.

Witnesses at the hearing included Mayor Helena Moreno, Mayor of New Orleans, President JP Morrell, New Orleans City Council, Alanah Odoms, Executive Director, Louisiana ACLU, Homero Lopez, Legal Director of Immigration Services & Legal Advocacy, Tania Wolf, Southeast Advocacy Manager for the National Immigration Project, and Reverend Shawn Anglim, Pastor of First Grace United Methodist Church.

“I was grateful for the opportunity to visit New Orleans to examine the impacts of ICE and Border Patrol operations and to hear directly from people affected. I thank Representative Carter for hosting and our witnesses for their testimony, which highlighted serious concerns about how DHS is operating on the ground. What we heard reflects a broader, nationwide pattern that demands Congress rein in ICE, restore accountability, and ensure immigration enforcement respects the law and the rights of our communities,” said Ranking Member Thompson.

“More than two-thirds of our country now believes that ICE enforcement has gone too far. I’m hearing from people on the left and on the right who say that this is ultimately Unamerican. What we have witnessed in New Orleans is nonviolent individuals being overwhelmingly targeted and profiled. This has caused widespread fear across our city and our region. Parents took their kids out of school, workers stopped showing up at their jobs, and my church - where we have a large Spanish speaking service - people stopped coming to worship. I want to thank Congressman Carter for convening the hearing as we work together to keep our communities safe,” said Mayor Helena Moreno.

Reps. Carter, Thompson, Magaziner, and Kennedy also convened a roundtable with local immigration advocates, faith leaders, and other stakeholders to discuss immigration enforcement actions in the greater New Orleans area, including the impacts of the recent surge of federal officers from “Operation Catahoula Crunch.”

They also conducted an oversight visit of the New Orleans ICE field office in St. Rose, LA. The office serves as a processing facility for recently detained migrants in the New Orleans region. Detainees are brought there before being taken to long-term detention facilities across the state. Visiting the ICE facility allowed the Members to personally verify the conditions under which migrants are held—including access to medical care, food quality, sanitation, sleeping arrangements, and staff treatment.

Background:

On December 3rd, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the launch of the federal law enforcement operation in New Orleans, Louisiana dubbed “Catahoula Crunch.” DHS issued a press release stating this operation would target criminal illegal aliens roaming free thanks to sanctuary policies that force local authorities to ignore U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) arrest detainers.

Agents have been patrolling and arresting people across the New Orleans metro area, especially in Kenner, with nearly 20,000 Hispanic residents. At a Kenner city council meeting, one resident said, “I have been asked for my papers twice, and I even had to call my husband to send another type of identification — my birth certificate.” These actions have led residents to question whether agents are racially profiling people who appear Hispanic rather than focusing on criminals. Many Hispanic-owned businesses are temporarily closing due to owners’ concerns about employees and customers being questioned by immigration agents.

View photos from the events here.

###