National Guard to arrive in New Orleans before Christmas amid ‘Catahoula Crunch’ immigration operation

• National Guard to provide support in New Orleans
• Federal urban patrols increase
• Immigration operation heightens tension

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry confirmed a National Guard deployment to the New Orleans area before Christmas.

The decision comes as hundreds of U.S. Border Patrol agents are already in the region as part of the immigration operation known as Catahoula Crunch.

The federal movement responds to President Donald Trump’s push to detain immigrants accused of crimes.

Landry said the military reinforcement will take place in the coming days. The announcement comes amid a tense political and security climate surrounding migration in Louisiana.

National Guard to arrive in New Orleans as part of Catahoula Crunch operation

➡️ Governor of Louisiana confirms National Guard deployment in New Orleans.
Here’s what we know 👉 https://t.co/3MWF5Lc8Om

Reported by @LidiaTerrazas pic.twitter.com/js6NodLudp

— Univision Noticias (@UniNoticias) December 4, 2025

State authorities have not provided public details on the exact size of the deployment, according to Univision.

They did confirm that it will occur before Christmas and operate in coordination with federal agencies.

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Hundreds of Border Patrol agents are already present in the New Orleans metropolitan area.

They are part of the Catahoula Crunch operation, which has resulted in several arrests in the region. The operation has focused on locating and detaining immigrants accused of criminal offenses.

Federal patrols on New Orleans streets

𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐦𝐩 𝐒𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐆𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐃𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐎𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐆𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐨𝐫’𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry said he expected the National Guard troops to arrive before Christmas. pic.twitter.com/WqJweZpmtX

— Trumpusa1 (@Trumpusa1A1) December 4, 2025

As of yesterday, federal agents began patrolling the streets of New Orleans.

A Homeland Security official confirmed that this is part of the immigration crackdown pushed by the Trump administration.

The objective is to detain immigrants whom the federal government states have criminal allegations.

Patrols have been deployed both in central areas and in suburban neighborhoods.

These movements take place while community organizations remain on alert.

Patrols have been constant and carried out at various times of day.

A resident reported seeing agents arrest several men in front of a home improvement store.

The incident occurred in an area of New Orleans with a large Hispanic population.

The resident said the law enforcement actions were fast and without prior warning.

Masked patrols raise concerns

Federal agents carried out an operation against “irregular migrants with criminal backgrounds” in New Orleans, Louisiana, after criticizing the city’s Democratic authorities for not cooperating.

The Democrat Helena Moreno, the city’s mayor-elect, who… pic.twitter.com/RCpRZpTp1s

— NMás (@nmas) December 4, 2025

Masked agents participated in the operations in this predominantly Hispanic suburb.

They patrolled in vehicles with official plates as well as in unmarked cars.

This type of deployment has been repeated in several major cities in recent months.

Images of undercover agents have caused concern among local communities.

For many residents, the presence of federal forces creates an atmosphere of uncertainty.

The National Guard Catahoula Crunch operation remains active and continues to result in arrests as December progresses.

State and federal authorities have remained silent on the total number of detentions made so far.

They also have not stated how long these deployments will remain in New Orleans.