It’s not just blue states that have an illegal alien problem. The Department of Homeland Security has announced it will send 250 federal immigration officers to Louisiana. The move by the DHS is part of the department’s new operation called Swamp Sweep. The Hill reported a more in-depth report of Operation Swamp Sweep: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is sending roughly 250 federal immigration officers to New Orleans, The Associated Press reported Tuesday. The operation, dubbed “Swamp Sweep,” intends to arrest roughly 5,000 people across southeast Louisiana and Mississippi. It will begin Dec. 1, according to the AP. When reached for comment, DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said the department does “not discuss future or potential operations.” The Trump administration has launched immigration enforcement endeavors in Democratic-run cities across the country, including Los Angeles, Chicago and Charlotte, N.C. New Orleans, currently led by Mayor LaToya Cantrell (D), has not had a Republican mayor since the 1870s. Federal immigration officers arrested more than 200 people in Charlotte across the first three days of its operation in the Tar Heel State, a DHS official told The Hill on Tuesday. As of 2023, roughly 110,000 migrants lived in Louisiana without legal permission, while about 40,000 migrants were illegally in Mississippi, according to the Pew Research Center. That represents an increase of 40,000 and 20,000 people, respectively, relative to 2021. In both states, more than half of such migrants had lived in the U.S. for more than five years, as of 2023. AP has new details on planned DHS operations in New Orleans called “Swamp Sweep”: -250 CBP agents to be deployed for 2-months -5,000 arrests across southeast Louisiana -Command center at FBI office and using nearby naval base to store tear gas, gearhttps://t.co/JI7KpiVCPN — Jack Brook (@jack_brook96) November 18, 2025 NBC 5 News reported Republican officials in Louisiana have been working close with the Trump admin: In Louisiana, the operation is unfolding on the home turf of Republican Gov. Jeff Landry, a close Trump ally who has moved to align state policy with the White House’s enforcement agenda. But, as seen in other blue cities situated in Republican-led states, increased federal enforcement presence could set up a collision with officials in liberal New Orleans who have long resisted federal sweeps. Gregory Bovino, the Border Patrol commander tapped to run the Louisiana sweep, has become the administration’s go-to architect for large-scale immigration crackdowns — and a magnet for criticism over the tactics used in them. His selection to oversee “Swamp Sweep” signals that the administration views Louisiana as a major enforcement priority for the Trump administration. The Department of Homeland Security declined to comment on the operation. “For the safety and security of law enforcement we’re not going to telegraph potential operations,” spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said.