NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) estimates Operation Catahoula Crunch agents have arrested roughly 370 people as part of its criminal immigration sweep.
DHS, which oversees both Border Patrol and ICE, has only identified more than 30 arrestees through press releases.
It’s unclear if the DHS will identify everyone arrested.
Fox 8 reached out to both ICE and Border Patrol for a full list. Rusty Payne, a spokesperson for the U.S. Border Patrol, told Fox 8 “I would not expect that to be made available.”
Payne did not elaborate on why nor provide any policy explanation. Fox 8 has submitted records requests for the information. The DHS closed one request to Border Patrol without providing records while a request connected to ICE is pending.
In a Dec. 18, 2025 press release, the DHS stated the immigrants identified are “some of the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens arrested.”
The statement from Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin pointed to “illegal alien drug dealers, hit-and-run criminals and one monster who was convicted for arson…”
Payne’s comments come amid concerns the sweep is going beyond its initial stated goal of “targeting criminal illegal aliens roaming free thanks to sanctuary policies.”
Metropolitan Crime Commission President and good government watchdog Rafael Goyeneche said he expects statistics and more disclosure once the sweep is complete.
“The reporting for this type of initiative is going to be totally driven by what the desires are of Customs and Border Protection to disclose it,” he said.
Immigration attorney Michael Gahagan said it is “extremely uncommon” for ICE to release the identities of those it arrests, leaving families in the dark.
“So sometimes they’ll go a week or two. They have no clue where the person is. And they won’t know until they get a call from the inside. ICE is not going to call the family. It’s not published anywhere,” he said.
ICE does offer a detainee search portal which allows users to search for detainees, one by one, if the user has the personal information of the detainee.
Arrests by local law enforcement agencies can be found through searching the corresponding parish jail roster.
Congressman Troy Carter (D-New Orleans) said his office struggles to get information from the DHS.
“We get inundated with phone calls from individuals nearly every day from everyone who wants to know how to protect themselves,” he said.
Carter said there will be a Congressional hearing on the DHS sweep in the coming weeks held in New Orleans. The date and Congressional attendance at the hearing are unclear.
Carter called Payne’s comments “problematic.”
“There should not be some cloak of secrecy around enforcing the law if, in fact, that’s your intent,” he said.
Representatives with ICE and Border Patrol did not respond to a request for comment.
