MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:
Federal agents launched a long-expected immigration enforcement sweep today in New Orleans. It's the latest metro area targeted by the Trump administration's campaign to step up arrests and deportations of immigrants in the country without legal status. NPR's Martin Kaste is in New Orleans. We're going to join him for the latest. Hey, Martin.
MARTIN KASTE, BYLINE: Hi, Mary Louise.
KELLY: So we have seen these kind of immigration enforcement sweeps in other Democratic-run cities this year - I'm thinking of LA, of Chicago, of Charlotte. Are we looking for the same type of operation in New Orleans?
KASTE: Well, so far, the Feds are promising something similar here. They say they're going after people who are in the country illegally and have committed crimes. And in New Orleans, they say that means looking for people with criminal histories who were let out of the local jail but not turned over to ICE. That's what the Feds want local jails to do - turn those people over if they're in the country illegally. Trump has been highly critical of what he calls sanctuary policies, which he says protects criminals from being deported. But all that said, this operation probably won't focus only on criminals because what we've seen in other operations, such as in Chicago, is that most of the people who were swept up on immigration violations did not have criminal records.
KELLY: And you're there. What are you seeing so far? This is Day 1 of an operation that's expected to go - what? - for weeks?
KASTE: Probably, yeah. Well, we're getting scattered reports from volunteer spotters with immigration advocacy groups who say they've seen immigration agents at places like Home Depot and Lowe's - the same kinds of businesses that were targets in Los Angeles earlier this year. But what's more noticeable in this city, I really should say, is the scattered closures of some smaller sort of mom-and-pop restaurants and some bars that have temporarily shut their doors or maybe reduced their hours. Some people say it's because they don't have enough workers showing up, but others say, in some cases, it's preemptive to avoid a raid.
KELLY: Bars closing in New Orleans.
KASTE: Yeah.
KELLY: No small thing. I'm also recalling all of the pushback against ICE in other cities, thinking of Chicago in particular. What kind of reaction could ICE expect there in Louisiana?
KASTE: There seems to be a difference between New Orleans proper and the suburbs on this. For instance, there's a suburb called Kenner which saw a big increase in Latino residents in the last few years. There, the city and the police chief have welcomed ICE. And Latinos in the community say they're getting a similar vibe from some of their nonimmigrant neighbors.
I talked to a man named Jesse Bermudez (ph) earlier today. He runs a Latin American grocery store. I should say that store was completely empty, and he says that's really typical right now. People just aren't coming out. But he told me that a lot of the people in that neighborhood came here to help rebuild New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. And now, he says, at least on social media, they're being told it's time to go.
JESSE BERMUDEZ: I'll see on the comments that, you have a lot of people. It's good that they leave. You know, they're not supposed to be here and whatnot. But one of y'all probably called to get a roof fixed, or one of y'all probably called to get a door fixed or, you know, replace something. So it's really a distasteful feeling that - just seeing people - our own community turning their backs on someone that really helped out.
KELLY: Martin, you've been sharing some of the reaction in the suburbs. What about in New Orleans itself - the city - which is so dependent on tourists?
KASTE: Very much so, and Mardi Gras is coming. As we mentioned, New Orleans police aren't supposed to help with immigration enforcement. The police superintendent, Anne Kirkpatrick, calls immigration a civil matter. It's not her responsibility. But I'll say officials here are under a lot of pressure from the state, from Republican Governor Jeff Landry and the legislature because they want to see local law enforcement cooperating with the Feds. So unlike Chicago or LA, which were backed by their state sanctuary policies, New Orleans really is kind of alone. It's on its own on this.
KELLY: NPR's Martin Kaste reporting from New Orleans. Thank you, Martin.
KASTE: You're welcome. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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