Meeting the Moment: Immigration Sweep

When the U.S. Border Patrol arrived in New Orleans in early December to conduct “Catahoula Crunch,” El Centro was ready. Recognizing that the Latino community would be devastated by the immigration sweep, our organization focused on preparing local businesses, ensuring Latino individuals and families knew their rights, and making sure the greater community were aware of the catastrophic effects the raids would cause. 

Starting in November, the El Centro began alerting local Latino business owners about the upcoming immigration sweeps and what proactive steps they could take to protect their businesses and employees.

“We wanted to make sure owners and staff members knew their rights when it came to immigration control,” says El Centro’s Founder and Executive Director Lindsey Navarro. “We partnered with Broad Community Connections and we went directly to these local businesses, providing them with handouts and signage in Spanish and English.”

Navarro also made several appearances on CNN and local media outlets to talk about how the sweeps were causing heightened anxiety in the Latino community. Navarro explained that many Latino residents were staying at home regardless of immigration status because of the fear of detainment, numerous businesses had closed temporarily, many construction projects were stalled, and that the economic impact would be felt across the New Orleans metro area. 

El Centro also used the power of social media to notify our followers and clients about the sweeps and what they could do to protect themselves and their families, available resources and what steps to take if someone is detained.

December has been hectic at El Centro with staff fielding many requests from clients who have been directly affected by the sweep. In some cases, staff have connected the client with legal counsel, and also introduced them to community partners including ECCO Centro Communitario, Familias Unidas en Accion, and Puentes who are able to provide food to those most in need.  December is also a planning month for El Centro, and Navarro says that the plans for 2026 have to include the immigration sweep and how the Latino entrepreneurial community can move forward.

​“These are frightening times for the Latino community, but we must remember that the sweep hurts all of us, the entire New Orleans community,” Navarro says. “Right now, we are doing all we can to support the immigrant community, which in Louisiana provides $2.1 billion in tax contributions from more than 223,000 immigrant residents. And we are planning for what we can do once the sweep has concluded.”