Operation Catahoula Crunch is a short‑term federal immigration enforcement operation that DHS launched in the New Orleans, Louisiana area on December 3, 2025. It focuses on locating and arresting non‑U.S. citizens whom DHS says have criminal records and were released from local jails despite ICE “detainer” requests, especially in jurisdictions DHS labels as having “sanctuary” policies. The press materials and related coverage show that the main DHS component running the operation is U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), particularly its Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) arm, with DHS headquarters oversight; Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is also listed in DHS materials as a related partner for the broader effort.
Tricia McLaughlin is a senior political appointee at the Department of Homeland Security who serves as an Assistant Secretary responsible for public communications on immigration and other DHS priorities (she is frequently identified in news and DHS materials as the department’s public affairs lead/spokesperson). In DHS press releases about Operation Catahoula Crunch and other 2025 immigration initiatives, she is quoted speaking on behalf of DHS leadership and the Trump administration about enforcement strategy and priorities.
“Secretary Noem” refers to Kristi Noem, the former governor of South Dakota who, under the current Trump administration, is serving as the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security. She was confirmed to lead DHS in January 2025 and is cited in DHS releases as setting overall immigration enforcement policy that Operation Catahoula Crunch is part of.
In this context, the “about 370 apprehensions” refers to arrests/detentions by DHS officers, not completed deportations. The December 18 DHS release says DHS has “arrested about 370 illegal aliens” since the operation began on December 3; it does not claim that all of them have already been removed from the country. After arrest, people typically enter immigration detention and/or court or criminal processes, so deportations would occur later if ordered.
In immigration enforcement, “previously removed” means a person has already been formally deported or otherwise removed from the United States at least once under an immigration order, and then returned without authorization. “Twice‑removed” means the person has been formally removed on two separate occasions and is again back in the country without permission. DHS and ICE use these terms routinely in press releases for people arrested for new immigration or criminal violations.
DHS does not spell out the post‑arrest path for every person in Operation Catahoula Crunch, but standard practice is: • If someone has pending or new criminal charges (for example, for hit‑and‑run, domestic abuse, weapons, or drug crimes), they may be prosecuted in state or federal criminal court first. • At the same time or afterward, ICE places them in immigration proceedings, which can lead to administrative removal (deportation) based on their lack of lawful status, prior removal orders, or criminal convictions. So many individuals will face both criminal prosecution (where applicable) and separate civil immigration removal processes; others may go directly into immigration detention and removal if they have prior orders or no new prosecutable criminal case.
DHS uses “worst of the worst” as a rhetorical label for non‑citizens it says pose the highest public‑safety risk. In its materials on Operation Catahoula Crunch and related campaigns, this usually means people who: • Have been convicted of or charged with serious or violent crimes (e.g., homicide, rape or sexual assault, child abuse, armed robbery, arson, kidnapping, serious domestic violence), and/or • Have multiple immigration violations such as prior removals and repeat illegal re‑entry, sometimes combined with those serious criminal records. DHS and ICE highlight such cases on their “Worst of the Worst” pages and in press releases to justify enforcement operations like Catahoula Crunch.