NEW ORLEANS — A legal dispute has arisen in New Orleans as Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill has filed a lawsuit in federal court against the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office over its immigration policies.
This action follows a nationwide movement spearheaded by former President Donald Trump’s administration, which has pushed for stricter immigration policies and greater collaboration with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) concerning undocumented detainees and individuals arrested for violent crimes.
Mary Yanik, director of Tulane University’s Immigrant Rights Clinic, believes the lawsuit reflects an effort to instill fear within immigrant communities across the country.
“The Louisiana Attorney General is attempting to disrupt a court-approved agreement that has benefited New Orleans,” Yanik stated.
The lawsuit targets the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office (OPSO), aiming to remove the agency’s current consent decree, which limits cooperation with ICE.
“I don’t need to be opposed to the sheriff. We can agree on resolving this issue,” Murrill said.
The existing decree prohibits OPSO from executing ICE warrants unless the individual is charged with a violent crime. Murrill argues that the sheriff’s office’s refusal to cooperate with ICE violates both state and federal laws.
In response, the sheriff’s office issued a statement, saying, “OPSO cannot comment on pending litigation, which we have not received or reviewed.”
A spokesperson also pointed to a 2012 settlement agreement and the OPSO policy established after the Cacho v. Marlin Gusman case.
Yanik emphasized that the sheriff does not have the authority to unilaterally alter this policy, noting that declining many of these ICE requests has shielded the sheriff from numerous lawsuits.
Murrill’s office maintains that the public has firmly opposed “sanctuary policies” on immigration.
“If they wish to comply, they should align with me and work to dissolve the judgment,” Murrill added.
Immigration advocates, including Yanik, are committed to defending the current consent decree.
“Mario Cacho and his legal team are prepared to fully defend it,” Yanik said.
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