The Department of Homeland Security is preparing to deploy roughly 250 federal border agents to Louisiana for a large-scale two-month immigration operation called Swamp Sweep. The initiative aims to arrest about 5,000 people across southeast Louisiana and parts of Mississippi, making it one of the Trump administration’s most expansive enforcement efforts to date.
Federal Agents Set for Large Deployment Across Louisiana
DHS planning documents and individuals familiar with the operation indicate that approximately 250 federal border agents will begin arriving in New Orleans on December 1 as part of a sweeping enforcement initiative known as Swamp Sweep. The campaign is structured to conduct thousands of arrests across southeast Louisiana and into Mississippi.
The deployment follows a series of intensified enforcement surges in significant cities, including Chicago, Los Angeles, and Charlotte. Louisiana is now the latest major site in the administration’s growing strategy to expand rapid-arrest operations and accelerate removals nationwide.
A Strategic Operation on Politically Significant Ground
Swamp Sweep is unfolding under the leadership of Governor Jeff Landry, a Republican and close ally of President Trump. State policies have increasingly aligned with federal enforcement goals, creating an environment of broad cooperation with DHS. At the same time, New Orleans officials have historically resisted federal sweeps, raising the likelihood of local tensions as the operation advances.
The effort will be overseen by Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino, who has led several of the administration’s most high-profile enforcement campaigns. His previous operations included actions in Chicago that drew criticism from a federal judge over the use of tear gas and pepper balls during clashes with protesters. His assignment signals DHS’s intent to prioritize Louisiana as a major enforcement zone.
A DHS spokesperson declined to discuss details, citing agency policy.
Planning, Logistics, and Scope of the Sweep
Associated Press documents show that federal teams plan to cover a large geographic area stretching from New Orleans through Jefferson, St. Bernard, and St. Tammany parishes and up to Baton Rouge. Additional actions are expected in southeastern Mississippi, forming a multi-state enforcement corridor.
Agents are scheduled to begin staging vehicles, equipment, and supplies before Thanksgiving, with full operations starting in early December. Individuals who are familiar with the planning say that the advance arrival is intended to position personnel and resources ahead of the two-month sweep.
To support the deployment, DHS has secured multiple staging sites. A section of the FBI’s New Orleans field office will serve as a command post. A nearby naval installation will store vehicles, equipment, and large quantities of less-lethal munitions, including tear gas and pepper balls. Homeland Security has also requested temporary access to the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base in New Orleans for up to 90 days.
Louisiana Becomes a Key Testing Ground
Once underway, Swamp Sweep will test the administration’s broader deportation strategy. Louisiana’s role as a central enforcement hub highlights growing divides between federal immigration priorities and municipal leaders who have resisted broad arrest operations in their communities.
Residents and community groups are bracing themselves for a significant federal presence, with many worried that the operation could disrupt daily life as agents pursue thousands of arrests under the expanding national strategy.
What’s Next?
As federal agents prepare for the start of Swamp Sweep, families across Louisiana and Mississippi are bracing for a surge that may reshape routines and deepen anxiety in affected neighborhoods. The scope of the operation reflects the ongoing tension between federal enforcement goals and local leaders seeking to preserve community stability.
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Resources
- https://abcnews.go.com/amp/US/wireStory/dhs-plans-deploy-250-border-agents-louisiana-major-127648150
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