Louisiana Gov Landry announces partnership for state and federal immigration enforcement

(The Center Square) — Gov. Jeff Landry on Wednesday announced a sweeping new immigration enforcement initiative that will allow state and local law enforcement to play a direct role in identifying and detaining undocumented immigrants accused of criminal activity.

Dubbed Operation GEAUX, the program is being launched in partnership with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and aims to expand state-level enforcement of federal immigration law.

Under the initiative, Louisiana law enforcement agencies will receive new tools and training to collaborate more closely with ICE. The program includes enhanced screening, targeted efforts to identify noncitizens with criminal records, and a statewide public awareness campaign.

An executive order signed by Landry on Wednesday formally launches Operation GEAUX and outlines several new mandates.

State agencies including the Louisiana State Police, Department of Public Safety and Corrections, Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, the State Fire Marshal, and the National Guard are directed to launch a public safety awareness campaign about the initiative.

These agencies are instructed to explore and enter into agreements with the Department of Homeland Security and ICE, enabling designated officers to perform certain immigration enforcement functions.

State agencies must work with federal officials to screen and identify criminal aliens in custody or under supervision for potential gang affiliations. The order also encourages local law enforcement agencies to pursue similar agreements under the 287(g) program.

Operation GEAUX, according to the executive order, is intended to "align state and federal resources" to more efficiently remove criminal noncitizens from Louisiana communities. The order asserts that the initiative is already underway and producing results.

The initiative is framed as a response to what it characterized as the Biden administration's failure to enforce immigration laws, which it claims contributed to record levels of unauthorized migration.

It cited a 2021 estimate that 97,000 undocumented immigrants lived in Louisiana — a figure officials now believe is significantly higher.

Landry made the announcement in Washington alongside ICE Deputy Director Madison Sheahan and ICE Principal Legal Advisor Charlie Wall.

"This is the kind of historic, one-of-a-kind partnership that the Trump administration is looking for to fulfill the President's promises of restoring law and order," Landry said, adding that individuals who are in the country illegally and commit crimes "are going to be deported or sent to jail."

Under the initiative, Louisiana law enforcement agencies will receive new tools and training to collaborate more closely with ICE. The program includes enhanced screening, targeted efforts to identify noncitizens with criminal records, and a statewide public awareness campaign.

An executive order signed by Landry Wednesday directs Louisiana agencies to prioritize coordination with federal authorities in immigration-related cases involving criminal charges.

In a statement, Landry's office cast the initiative as a response to what it described as lax enforcement during the Biden administration, which it blamed for record levels of illegal immigration. It cited an estimate that 97,000 undocumented immigrants lived in Louisiana in 2021, a number officials believe has since grown.

The governor's office credited the Trump administration with reversing those trends, claiming that border crossings have fallen sharply since President Donald Trump returned to office in January.

"President Trump has made it clear that illegal immigration has no place in America, and we want to ensure this is a reality in Louisiana," the governor's office wrote in a statement. "We are ushering in a new age in America and Louisiana — one where law and order is the expectation, not the exception."