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Advocates protest operation Catahoula Crunch in capital region
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BATON ROUGE - Immigrant advocates gathered in Baton Rouge on Tuesday to protest Operation Catahoula Crunch, a federal enforcement effort that organizers say is spreading fear across Louisiana communities.
Dauda Sesay is the founder of Louisiana's organization for refugees and immigrants. Sesay emigrated to the United States from West Africa. He spoke at the conference, and one of the things he said was that the home Louisiana once was for him is not the same.
The campaign's goal is to raise public awareness and educate migrant families afraid to leave their homes because of operations like Catahoula Crunch, while also giving them knowledge about their rights and empowering them with strategies to alert others about these operations, such as using whistles.
"The whistles work when everybody uses them, and it's just an act of solidarity to alarm the community, and to let them know that there's an activity," Marcela Hernandez from Families Unidas En Acción said.
Hernandez says fear has forced many immigrants, including those here legally, to stay inside to avoid any confrontation with border patrol.
"Residents, even citizens, have been taken away. So this is a way where we can all protect our communities and ensure that our most vulnerable individuals are safe," she said.
In early December, the Department of Homeland Security said its agents arrested 370 people as part of Operation Catahoula Crunch.
For some at the protest, the tactics used by federal agents triggered painful memories. Sesay said the presence of masked officers reminded him of the violence he experienced before fleeing Africa.
"My family's house was set on fire with my mom and relatives inside by people in masks. And now we are seeing that same image of people in masks on our own streets," he said.
Sesay is the founder of Louisiana’s Organization for Refugees and Immigrants. He said the federal government’s approach has damaged trust between immigrant communities and law enforcement.
“You don’t see law enforcement put on masks when they’re there to protect us. Community policing works when we build safety together,” Sesay said.
Louisiana Office of Refugees and Immigrants encourages anyone with questions about detentions to reach out to their hotline, which can be found on their website.
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