Records reviewed by AP detail online monitoring, arrests in New Orleans immigration crackdown
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — State and federal officials are closely monitoring online criticism and demonstrations against the government. Immigrant raid in New OrleansIt monitors message boards around the clock for threats to agents while compiling regular updates on public “feelings” about the arrests, according to law enforcement records reviewed by The Associated Press.
The intelligence gathering occurred even though authorities released few details about the initial arrests made as part of the “Catahoula Crisis” last week; This has led to calls for greater transparency from local officials who say they have been kept in the dark about almost every aspect of the operation.
“Opinions online are still mixed, with some supporting the operations and some opposing them,” he said in a briefing distributed to law enforcement early Sunday. Earlier bulletins noted “a combination of groups urging the public to register ICE and Border Patrol” as well as “additional locations where agents may find immigrants.”
Immigration officials insisted the sweeps targeted “criminal illegal aliens.” But law enforcement records detail the criminal histories of less than a third of the 38 people arrested in the first two days of the operation.
Local leaders told the AP that those figures, which law enforcement officials have been warned not to distribute to the media, undermine the stated purpose of the collection. They have also expressed concern that online surveillance could restrict freedom of expression, as authorities threaten to charge anyone who interferes with immigration enforcement.
“This confirms what we already knew, which is that this is not about public safety, it’s about inciting chaos and fear and terrorizing communities,” said Democratic Sen. Royce Duplessis, who represents New Orleans. “This further reinforces the sick stereotypical narrative that immigrants are violent.”
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security did not respond to questions about the intelligence collection and referred the AP to a previous official. newsletter He is touting “dozens of arrests”. The agency has not made any statements about the accounting or criminal histories of the detained detainees.
Few of those initially arrested had violent criminal records
DHS has publicly released details of only six arrests resulting from the operation — all of people with criminal histories — including one man it said was unambiguously found guilty of “murder” and another found guilty of sexual assault. The agency, which employs several hundred agents in Southeast Louisiana, said it aims to: at least 5,000 arrests An operation that is expected to last up to two months is ongoing in the region.
“Americans should be able to live without fear that violent, illegal aliens will harm them, their families or their neighbors,” said DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin.
DHS and Republican leaders have framed the crackdown as targeting the most violent criminals. But records reviewed by the AP find that only nine of the 38 people arrested in the early days had criminal histories beyond traffic violations; This is information that intelligence bulletins warn “should not be distributed to the media.”
New Orleans City Council President J.P. Morrell said the stated goals of the operation to apprehend violent criminals did not match the reality of what was happening.
“There was literally no information given about the city of New Orleans,” Morrell said. “If their goal was to come here and strengthen existing law enforcement, go after violent criminals or people with extensive criminal histories, why wouldn’t you be more transparent about who you’re arresting and why?”
Morrell and other officials said the raid appeared to be a trap focused on people with brown skin, citing viral videos of encounters such as masked agents chasing a person. 23 year old US citizen returning home from the grocery store.
Law enforcement officers carefully monitor such images and public reaction. “For some supporters, videos featuring the sounds of children crying in the background as their parents are arrested are heavy on their hearts,” it said in a briefing.
Authorities are monitoring public sentiment and protests
The records also shed new light on cooperation between state and federal authorities in an operation welcomed by Louisiana’s Republican Gov. Jeff Landry. Both the FBI and Customs and Border Protection placed agents at the Louisiana State Analytics and Fusion Exchange, an intelligence and data-sharing center that closely monitors discussions on Reddit, the online forum used by local residents to exchange information about immigration raids.
Some “went so far as to accuse agents of racially profiling particularly Hispanic areas,” a briefing said. Another flagged social media post suggested agents were “not fulfilling their mission of solely targeting criminal immigrants.” Third, he noted that critics of the raids “bring up past hurricanes and the work migrants did in their aftermath.”
“Chat is slower throughout the night, mostly just commenting on posts from earlier in the day,” says one of the briefers. “When daylight comes and the agencies retreat, conversations and new posts will begin again.”
No threats to law enforcement were identified in the briefings, but the fusion center sought to debunk false reports that a pedestrian had been fatally shot by law enforcement. “It has been confirmed that this did not actually occur,” the center told law enforcement on Saturday.
At a briefing early Saturday in St. An incident was described involving “suspicious individuals/protesters” arriving at an ICE facility in St. Charles Parish; where records show detainees are awaiting processing.
Some local officials said they were unaware of the state’s role in online monitoring. Louisiana State Police promised “operational support” to immigration authorities and warned the public that troopers would arrest anyone who assaults a federal agent or causes criminal damage to property.
“Louisiana State Police remains vigilant in monitoring social media activity related to protests, activism and other forms of community response,” state police spokesman Trooper Danny Berrincha said in an email to the AP. “Through the LSP Fusion Center, we actively monitor developments and facilitate the sharing of information and communication between our partner organizations.”
The fusion center also tracked vehicles used by protesters to obstruct federal immigration enforcement; He noted social media links to tip notifications, training for federal agents on filming, and the emergence of a hotline to report arrests. The surveillance expanded to include activist debates over the presence of immigration officials near an elementary school and outlined demonstrations in New Orleans City Council chambers and elsewhere.
“They can watch me as much as they want,” said Rachel Taber, an organizer with Union Migrante, a New Orleans-based grassroots advocacy group that shares crowdsourced reports and videos of federal immigration enforcement operations. “We’re not doing anything illegal.”
Beth Davis, a spokeswoman for Indivisible NOLA, which organizes some of the training described in law enforcement briefings, said it’s sad that officials are preoccupied with law-abiding citizens. “It boggles my mind that they feel threatened by a bunch of community organizers with nothing but phones and whistles.”
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Mustian reported from New York.
