This story was originally published by Verite News
The Rev. Luis Duarte, pastor at St. Jerome Catholic Church in Kenner, woke up Wednesday morning (Nov. 19) and took a few phone calls in his office. Then he decided to cancel all group activities at the church, other than mass, this week and the coming weeks.
He made the decision, he said, because he’s worried that rather than a place of sanctuary, his church in Kenner could soon become a target for federal immigration authorities.
As hundreds of U.S. Border Patrol agents descend on the New Orleans area by the beginning of December, Duarte said he’s concerned that the many daily activities at the church would make parishioners vulnerable to immigration enforcement operations. In this heavily Hispanic city, 80% of St. Jerome’s congregants are Hispanic, and many of them are immigrants, he said.
“I want to be with them, but I think sometimes you have to make those decisions to keep the community safe,” he said, adding that the weekend’s mass would be held in honor of all immigrants. “Remember that our Lord Jesus Christ went through that moment. So he knows what it feels to be persecuted just because of your race.”
This is the first time he’s ever had to make a call like this, he said, but after seeing the results of an immigration enforcement surge over the past few days in Charlotte, North Carolina, and after receiving several phone calls from members of the community worried about the presence of Border Patrol, he said he was forced to make a tough decision.
He said he’s also offering help to congregants who are scared of going out while the agents are deployed here. Duarte, along with some local groups that advocate for immigrants, are advising residents who could get caught in immigration enforcement operations to remain at home.
“I’m going to be attentive. If they need food or whatever, I will go to any house if they need something, because they are afraid of leaving to even buy groceries.”
On Tuesday, the Associated Press reported that some 250 Border Patrol agents will participate in what federal authorities are calling “Operation Swamp Sweep.” According to planning documents reviewed by the AP, agents will conduct immigration sweeps in communities and commercial areas in New Orleans, Jefferson, St. Tammany and St. Bernard Parishes and expand their efforts north through Baton Rouge.
This will be the third such operation in a major U.S. city in recent weeks, following operation “Midway Blitz” in Chicago and operation “Charlotte’s Web” in Charlotte.
In Chicago, federal agents focused on heavily Hispanic suburban neighborhoods near the city’s northwest side, sparking allegations of racial profiling — including of U.S. citizens of color caught up in the sweeps — and excessive use of force.
Kenner, a suburb to New Orleans’ northwest, has the highest share of Hispanic residents — largely Honduran — of anywhere in the metro area. The city of about 66,000 is 30% Hispanic and is well-known for its concentration of Hispanic-owned businesses, particularly along Williams Boulevard.
Kenner has already seen immigration enforcement operations stepped up this year, including early this month, when the city’s police department partnered with ICE, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Louisiana State Police for a nighttime raid at the boat launch in Laketown, which resulted in 15 immigration arrests. In a video posted on the Kenner Police Department’s Facebook page, Kenner Police Department Chief Keith Conley said the operation was in response to years of nuisance complaints from city residents. Kenner PD was also one of the first local departments in Louisiana this year to ink a formal partnership pledging to work with federal immigration authorities.
In a phone interview with Verite News, Conley said the agency had not been briefed by their partners at ICE or anyone at U.S. Customs and Border Protection on the upcoming operation, adding that Kenner PD will work with federal immigration authorities if asked.
“From what I understand, they’re going to be operating independently. Certainly if they need our assistance for anything, we stand ready to assist and aid in their mission,” he said.
Conley said reports that fears over immigration enforcement are causing Hispanic residents to stay indoors might be overblown by social media.
“I don’t see any interruption in customers in restaurants and stores or anything like that,” Conley said. “If [residents] have any concerns or fears they’re more than welcome to call this office or to speak to any of our officers about it.”
But one business operator with locations in New Orleans and Kenner told Verite News that he is already seeing a drop in sales, even before the operation has officially begun.
“It’s a bad time,” said José Castillo, a manager at Norma’s Sweets Bakery, which is owned by his mother. “Business is down in Kenner, in New Orleans, in all our areas. … People are afraid to go out.”
Conley said Kenner PD has long been a good partner to federal immigration enforcement agencies. In March, the department signed an official agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement under the 287(g) program, which deputizes officers to carry out some ICE duties. President Donald Trump has urged departments across the country to enter into such partnerships, as has Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, a Trump ally and immigration hardliner.
The agreement allows KPD officers to draft their own “detainer” requests, authorizing local jailers to hold immigrants beyond when they might otherwise be released so that they can potentially be transferred into ICE custody.
In an investigation published in August, Verite News and Gulf States Newsroom found that Kenner PD traffic stops were creating a pipeline for immigrants from the city’s jail to federal immigration detention and even deportation. Between January and May ICE issued six times as many immigration detainer requests through Kenner PD than during the same time period in 2024.
As New Orleans area residents await the operation, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has been fairly tight-lipped about what to expect.
“Every day DHS enforces the laws of the nation across the country,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in an emailed statement. “We do not discuss future or potential operations.”
A spokesperson for Kenner Mayor Glaser did not respond to a request for comment on the operation. And Jefferson Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng’s office said she has not been briefed on the operation.
“The Parish President has not been in contact with any other local, state or federal officials about this,” Rachel Strassel said Wednesday. “Since this is a law enforcement issue, we recommend you speak with Sheriff Joseph Lopinto and law enforcement officials in other municipalities across the parish.”
Lopinto’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
At St. Jerome’s Catholic Church people came in and out of the office doors, exchanging greetings and small talk. Gregorian chants flow on low volume from the computer from Father Duarte’s office.
With group activities cancelled, Duarte said he feels apprehensive about Sunday’s mass, because, he said, despite the fear in the community, his parishioners tell them they have faith in God.
“They know that trust in God is everything right now. He’s the only defender they have right now,” he said.
Aliana Mediratta contributed reporting.
