Trump's Immigration Raids and Troop Deployments: A Detailed Analysis by City

President Donald Trumps ongoing campaign targeting undocumented immigrants and his stated efforts to combat crime in predominantly Democratic-led cities, many with substantial Black populations, continues unabated. On Monday, the administration launched a new initiative dubbed Swamp Sweep, sending over 200 U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents to Louisiana with plans to arrest roughly 5,000 individuals, according to the Associated Press.

This action follows recent federal troop deployments to Democratic-led cities in North Carolina and to St. Paul, Minnesota, after the fatal shooting of a West Virginia National Guard member near the White House. The administration is also appealing a court ruling that its 30-day control of Washington, D.C., was unlawful.

National Guard troops have been deployed to at least ten cities, including Los Angeles and Memphis, Tennessee, despite local data indicating decreases in violent crime, including homicides, in several of these areas. Since June, four state attorneys general have filed lawsuits challenging the federal deployment or attempted deployment of National Guard personnel into cities where Trump has claimed federal intervention is necessary.

City-Specific Enforcement and Deployments

In southeast Louisiana and parts of southern Mississippi, the Swamp Sweep operation focuses on immigration enforcement. Beginning December 1, approximately 250 federal agents, primarily staged in New Orleans with state approval, aim to arrest about 5,000 people. Republican-led state legislation passed in May 2024 banned sanctuary policies and threatened to criminalize interference with federal immigration enforcement.

Federal teams may extend their operations beyond New Orleans, covering Jefferson, St. Bernard, St. Tammany parishes, and as far north as Baton Rouge, potentially including southern Mississippi. Both New Orleans and Baton Rouge have Black populations exceeding 50%, a demographic historically more likely to be stopped by law enforcement during traffic stops.

In Minnesota, officials in St. Paul and Minneapolis criticized federal targeting of Somali communities. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey expressed solidarity with the Somali population following disparaging comments from Trump. The administration is reviewing green-card eligibility for immigrants from 19 countries, with particular attention to Somali residents, many of whom settled in the U.S. after fleeing civil war. Federal agencies are planning increased deportation efforts in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area, including the deployment of strike teams composed of ICE agents and other officers.

Community groups in St. Paul, organized under the Immigrant Defense Network, have been training volunteers to observe and document federal immigration enforcement actions. On November 18, federal agents arrested 14 people in a local business, with observers documenting the operation.

In North Carolina, the administrations Operation Charlottes Web deployed federal troops to cities including Charlotte, Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill. The goal was to detain nearly 1,400 non-U.S.-born individuals deemed hardened criminals. More than 250 arrests have been reported since the operation began, sparking protests and criticism from state and local officials who argue that the federal actions target residents based on racial profiling.

Chicago experienced similar enforcement under Operation Midway Blitz, focusing on undocumented immigrants residing under sanctuary policies. Nearly 900 arrests have been reported, prompting protests in predominantly Black and brown neighborhoods. State and city leaders, including Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, opposed National Guard deployments and enacted policies limiting cooperation with ICE.

In Memphis, despite homicide rates being at their lowest in six years, the National Guard was deployed following Trumps comments about the city. Local leaders expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of the federal presence, and community opinions remain divided.

Portland and Los Angeles also saw National Guard deployments in response to immigration enforcement protests. Courts temporarily blocked these deployments in some cases, but ongoing litigation continues. Local leaders in both cities criticized the administration for using federal troops in ways they argued were unnecessary and politically motivated.

In Washington, D.C., federal control under the Home Rule Act resulted in arrests concentrated in low-income neighborhoods, primarily affecting Black men and immigrant communities. The citys attorney general filed a lawsuit challenging the legality of the takeover, while local leaders adjusted cooperation measures as the 30-day federal period ended.

Across all these cities, protests and legal challenges have accompanied the federal operations, highlighting tensions between local governance, community safety data, and the Trump administrations enforcement policies.

Author: Ethan Caldwell