Roughly 250 federal border agents will deploy to New Orleans in a two-month operation called "Swamp Sweep," which aims to arrest almost 5,000 people across Louisiana and Mississippi, The Associated Press has reported, citing internal documents and sources familiar with the matter.
Gregory Bovino, the Border Patrol commander reported to be leading the new effort, has drawn scrutiny in the past. In Chicago, Bovino was publicly rebuked by a federal judge for misrepresenting threats by protesters and using tear gas and pepper balls without justification during disturbances. His involvement in the plan indicates that it is a major enforcement priority for the Trump administration.
Many residents and business owners in southeastern Louisiana, particularly in New Orleans, have previously expressed concerns about the human and economic impacts of broad enforcement actions.
According to planning documents obtained by The Associated Press and sources familiar with the operation, Swamp Sweep is scheduled to begin in early December and continue for two months.
It signals both an expansion of the administration's immigration crackdown in key Southern states and an intensifying showdown between federal agencies and local governments in areas with divergent approaches toward immigration policy.
The operation is poised to highlight ongoing tensions between state and local leaders as federal officials aim to fulfill campaign promises of mass deportations, a key element in the current administration's platform.
Border Patrol teams are preparing to operate throughout New Orleans, Jefferson, St. Bernard, and St. Tammany parishes, stretching northwards to Baton Rouge.
Additional enforcement activities are also planned in southeastern Mississippi, though details remain limited.
DHS has reportedly designated a section of the FBI's New Orleans field office as a command post, and vehicles, equipment, and less-lethal munitions such as tear gas and pepper balls are being stored at a naval base five miles south of New Orleans.
The agency has requested use of the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans for up to 90 days to serve as a staging ground, per AP.
Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said: "For the safety and security of law enforcement we're not going to telegraph potential operations."
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, a Republican and ally of Trump, has previously expressed support for federal-state enforcement partnerships. In May, he backed a partnership with "the federal government to crack down on criminal illegal aliens in the great state of Louisiana," per Fox News.
Governor Tate Reeves of Mississippi also previously voiced strong support for Trump's immigration agenda. In August, Reeves said he "approved the deployment of approximately 200 Mississippi National Guard soldiers to Washington, D.C., to support President Trump's effort to return law and order to our nation's capital," according to Fox News.
Once underway, Swamp Sweep will serve as a critical test of the Trump administration's expanded deportation strategy and may intensify divisions between federal authorities and city officials in New Orleans, who have historically resisted large-scale federal enforcement.
Federal agents are expected to arrive ahead of Thanksgiving to set up logistics, with the operation fully launching in December.
The outcome of the operation could influence future immigration policy approaches in other U.S. cities, especially those in states with differing attitudes between local and state governments toward immigration enforcement.
No official statements have yet been released by the mayor of New Orleans or other local leaders in response to the impending sweep as of press time.