A New Orleans City Council meeting descended into chaos this week when anti-ICE activists stormed the chamber, screamed down council members, and forced police to physically remove several demonstrators — one of whom was carried out by officers when they refused to leave. What should have been a routine civic proceeding turned into a spectacle because a handful of activists decided that so-called moral outrage trumps the rule of law and the rights of orderly citizens to be heard. This disruption is exactly the kind of performative theatre that undermines public safety and shames local government.
The commotion in City Hall is tied directly to a federal operation rolling into New Orleans known as “Catahoula Crunch,” a two-month enforcement effort by Customs and Border Protection and ICE aimed at removing violent criminal aliens and restoring public safety. Federal commanders have said the operation is focused on people with serious criminal records, and officials are aiming to make a substantial number of arrests to hit criminal networks hard. If you care about neighborhoods, small businesses, and the safety of children, you understand why federal agents are taking action where local officials have repeatedly failed.
Those who marched into the council chambers and demanded “ICE-free” zones were not there to engage in honest civic debate — they were there to intimidate and shut down the democratic process. When Council President J.P. Morrell moved to suspend public comment because protesters were ignoring meeting rules, the crowd erupted and then resisted orderly removal, forcing officers to restore order. Left-wing activists would have you believe these stunts are noble; they are actually dangerous and show contempt for the rule of law that protects us all.
Local leaders who wring their hands about federal enforcement but do little to stop crime are getting exposed for the hollow posturing it is. Council members claim limited powers while asking federal officers to backfill the failures of municipal governance, and activists scream for sanctuary policies that leave honest citizens vulnerable. Americans deserve leaders who put public safety first, not performative political theater that plays well on social media while neighborhoods pay the price.
On the national stage, Republicans and law-and-order conservatives are right to support tough enforcement when cities refuse to crack down on violent criminals, and prominent Louisiana Republicans have publicly backed the operation. Meanwhile, activist lawyers and left-wing groups are already scrambling to block enforcement — sometimes using the courts to hamper agents — but the public cannot be held hostage by a vocal minority that prioritizes ideology over safety. The debate is not about compassion; it’s about whether the first priority of government is protecting its own citizens.
Hardworking Americans should reject the chaos that comes from letting ideological mobs dictate public policy while criminal elements exploit loopholes and sanctuary rhetoric. Support your law enforcement — federal and local — and demand that elected officials stop coddling activists and start keeping streets safe. If we want secure communities and a functioning civic life, we must stand with the men and women enforcing the law and stop applauding disorder in city halls across the country.
