A group of about 30 anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) protesters derailed a New Orleans City Council meeting on Thursday, prompting law enforcement to force them out of the premises.
Council President J.P. Morrell moved to suspend public comments after protesters demanded that city officials establish “ICE free” zones on public property. Protesters began screaming at council members and were thrown out of the premises.
“Alright, at this time, I’m gonna suspend public comment on this item,” Morrell said, which caused an uproar.
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Police intervened in the shouting match by escorting the protesters outside of the building. Many protesters initially resisted, leading to pushing and shoving, according to Nola.com. One protester named Toni Jones was forcibly carried out by her arms and legs.
The protests were in retaliation to “Catahoula Crunch,” an immigration enforcement operation put in place by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in New Orleans. Under the direction of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) commander-at-large Greg Bovino, more than 200 federal agents intended to crack down on illegal immigration by arresting those with criminal records throughout the city.
Bovino announced on X that agents arrested an illegal Vietnamese national who had been convicted of aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon, aggravated sexual assault with a deadly weapon and aggravated kidnapping with a deadly weapon. Agents further detained another Vietnamese national who had been convicted of sexual assault, larceny and fondling a child, a Honduran national arrested for domestic abuse child endangerment, driving while intoxicated and resisting an officer, as well as a Dominican national arrested for cocaine possession, according to DHS.
Protesters demanded that a measure be passed to ban agents from using city-controlled parking lots, vacant lots and garages for civil immigration enforcement, according to Nola.
The protesters held up signs reading, “Silence supports deportation,” “No collaboration with ICE/DHS” and “Immigrants Built + Rebuilt This City.”
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