Trump administration intensifies immigration enforcement in New Orleans and Minneapolis. Check out the list of all targeted cities.

The Trump administration intensified its nationwide immigration enforcement on Wednesday, launching major operations in New Orleans and Minneapolis targeting individuals without legal status. Officials have stated that these efforts focus on dangerous offenders, described as the "worst of the worst."

For example, when announcing the New Orleans operation, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) highlighted 10 violent individuals released from local jails, attributing their release to the city's "sanctuary" policies. However, federal data from previous raids in Los Angeles, Chicago, Charlotte, and other cities show that most people arrested by ICE and CBP had no criminal records.

Under new directives to reach a daily target of 3,000 ICE arrestsup from 1,000agents are increasingly detaining noncriminal individuals in public locations. According to the Wall Street Journal, top White House aide Stephen Miller instructed officers to focus on areas where day laborers gather, such as Home Depot stores and convenience shops, rather than relying solely on traditional lists of undocumented immigrants.

This marks Louisiana as the second conservative state to experience large-scale raids after Tennessee. New Orleans, like Memphis previously, is led by Democrats. Mayor-elect Helena Moreno, who was born in Mexico, cautioned residents about possible due process violations and encouraged awareness of legal protections.

Details remain unclear on the agencies involved or the number of agents deployed, but reports indicate a DHS-led operation, including border patrol, aims for around 5,000 arrests. Local businesses and workers have been preparing, with some workers staying home due to fear of enforcement.

In Minneapolis-St. Paul, ICE has been directed to focus on Somali immigrants with final deportation orders following President Trump's remarks about Somali residents. Mayor Jacob Frey warned that such targeting could result in the detention of American citizens who appear Somali. Census data show that roughly 73% of Somali immigrants in the U.S. are naturalized citizens, with many others holding long-term legal status.

Previous operations in cities like Charlotte and Chicago involved heavily armed agents making arrests in public, sometimes resulting in fear and local controversy. In Charlotte, only a third of those detained were found to have criminal records, while Chicago operations sparked violent incidents and legal scrutiny. Over 3,000 arrests occurred in the region, highlighting the aggressive scope of these raids.

Tennessees government welcomed federal enforcement, with participation from multiple agencies including the FBI, ATF, and DEA, leading to over 2,600 arrests. Portland also saw protests against ICE raids, resulting in legal action that blocked the deployment of federal troops.

In Los Angeles, raids at Home Depot and other locations sparked mass demonstrations, prompting temporary National Guard deployments. Despite court challenges, enforcement continues, with nearly 9,000 immigration arrests in the region over six months.

Author: Benjamin Carter