DHS ‘Swamp Sweep’ operation aims for nearly 5K arrests in Louisiana, Mississippi
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The Department of Homeland Security is preparing to send about 250 federal border agents to Louisiana and Mississippi in a sweeping operation aimed at apprehending about 5,000 people there, The Associated Press reported Tuesday, citing internal documents and people familiar with the operation.
The two-month immigration initiative, called the “Swamp Sweep,” is expected to begin Dec. 1 and will focus heavily on southeast Louisiana, according to the report. The crackdown marks one of the largest single-state operations ever deployed by immigration officials under the Trump administration.
Representatives are expected to begin arriving in New Orleans on Friday to locate equipment, vehicles and other logistics before expanding to communities across Louisiana. AP reported that operations ranged from New Orleans to Jefferson, St. Bernard and St. He said it would extend into St. Tammany parishes and as far north as Baton Rouge. Additional enforcement is planned in southeast Mississippi, although details remain limited.
DHS did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
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Border Patrol agents could be deployed to Louisiana and Mississippi this week as part of Trump’s expanding crackdown on illegal immigration. (Getty Images)
“For the safety and security of law enforcement, we will not be telegraphing potential operations,” spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement to the press.
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An aerial view of downtown New Orleans is seen behind suburban homes on August 26, 2025. (Brandon Bell)
Spokespeople for Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry and Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves, both Republicans who have previously supported President Donald Trump and his agenda, also did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.
Reeves announced in August that he had “approved the deployment of approximately 200 Mississippi National Guard Soldiers to Washington, D.C., to support President Trump’s efforts to restore law and order in our nation’s capital.”
In May, Landry similarly touted a partnership “with the federal government to crack down on criminal illegal aliens in the great State of Louisiana.”
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White House Border Czar Tom Homan answers questions during a television interview outside the White House on September 8, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
The expansion into Louisiana and Mississippi comes as the Trump administration accelerates its nationwide immigration enforcement strategy. Federal immigration officers have already been dispatched to major cities including Los Angeles, Chicago and most recently Charlotte, North Carolina.
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Trump’s Border Czar Tom Homan told Fox News earlier Tuesday that additional operations were being prepared for New York City, signaling the crackdown would expand further in the coming weeks.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
