In recent years, Louisiana has become a focal point for the federal government’s aggressive immigration enforcement policies, particularly those carried out by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). From routine detentions to large-scale deportations, the impact of ICE activities on families and communities in Louisiana has been profound and far-reaching. While often framed as a necessary response to illegal immigration, the reality of ICE’s presence in the state tells a different story—one of fear, trauma, and the destabilization of immigrant communities.
ICE operations in Louisiana, and the deportations that follow, do not simply affect those targeted; they ripple through entire communities, damaging local economies, threatening public safety, and exacerbating longstanding racial and economic inequalities.