Teens Forced into Parental Roles as Immigration Crackdown Separates Families in Louisiana

Federal agents have conducted over 250 arrests this month across southeast Louisiana as part of an extensive immigration enforcement operation.

In Kenner, Louisiana, Vilma Cruz, a 38-year-old Honduran house painter and mother of two, was apprehended by federal agents right after arriving at her newly leased home. She barely had time to call her eldest son before agents broke her passenger window and took her into custody.

Cruz's detention has thrust her 18-year-old son, Jonathan Escalante, a US citizen who recently completed high school, into the role of caretaker for his 9-year-old sister who has a physical disability. He now faces the daunting tasks of accessing his mother's finances, finding his sister's medical information, and managing household bills.

"Honestly I'm not ready, having to take care of all of these responsibilities," Escalante confessed to The Associated Press. "But I'm willing to take them on if I have to. And I'm just praying that I get my mom back."

The immigration crackdown, named "Catahoula Crunch," aims to make 5,000 arrests. While the Department of Homeland Security claims to be targeting violent offenders, records examined by AP revealed that most individuals detained during the first two days had no criminal histories.

Louisiana Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser, a Republican, has broken ranks with his party by criticizing the operations. He pointed to the negative economic impact caused by labor shortages, as even immigrants with valid work permits remain home out of fear.

"So I think there needs to be some clarity of what's the plan," Nungesser questioned. "Are they going to take every person, regardless if they got kids, and they're going to leave the kids behind?"

DHS reported that Cruz locked herself in her vehicle and refused to exit when ordered, forcing agents to break the window. She remains in federal custody awaiting removal proceedings.

Immigrant advocacy groups argue that the operation employs a dragnet approach that racially profiles Hispanic communities. In anticipation of the crackdown, many families without legal status sought emergency custody arrangements for their children, with assistance from pro bono legal professionals at advocacy-organized events throughout the New Orleans area.

"Children are going to school unsure whether their parents will be home at the end of the day," said Raiza Pitre of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Louisiana during a recent city council meeting in Jefferson Parish.

Juan Proaño, CEO of the League of United Latin American Citizens, receives numerous daily calls from Louisiana families concerned about family separation. His organization is helping Escalante navigate life without his mother, while preparing him for potentially difficult outcomes.

"He thinks she'll be home in a couple of days, but it could be weeks or months, or she could be deported," Proaño explained.

Cruz had leased the new home so her son could finally have his own room, with plans to move in next month. Neighbor Kristi Rogers witnessed Cruz's detention and expressed concern about the targeting criteria.

"I'm for them trying to clean up the criminals in our area, but I'm hoping that's all they are detaining and deporting — the criminals," Rogers stated.

Jefferson and Orleans Parish court records showed no criminal history for Cruz, and her son confirmed she had a clean record.

In Kenner, where Hispanics comprise about one-third of residents, Police Chief Keith Conley characterized the federal immigration operation as a "prayer answered." To justify the operation, he shared press releases documenting crimes allegedly committed by undocumented immigrants since 2022.

"I think that missions like this, by the government, are welcome because it's going to change the landscape of the city and make improvements," Conley asserted.

Another case involves Jose Reyes, a Honduran construction worker and landscaper who had reportedly lived in the US for 16 years. After staying home for weeks to avoid detection, financial necessity forced him to visit a nearby bank. Federal agents followed and detained him in front of his house as his daughters pleaded for mercy.

"We were begging that they let him go," said his eldest daughter, 19-year-old Heylin Leonor Reyes. "He's the one who provides for food, pays bills, pays the rent. We were begging them because they're leaving a family totally in the dark, trying to figure out what to do, figuring out where to get money to get by."

DHS stated that Reyes had committed an unspecified felony and had previously been deported, without providing further details.

His daughter, who works at a local restaurant, explained that her income isn't sufficient to support her three younger siblings, two of whom she says are US citizens. The family wasn't provided information about where Reyes was being held.

"We were not given that information," Reyes said. "We were given absolutely nothing."

While Reyes tries to shield her siblings from the stress of their father's detention, Escalante hasn't yet told his sister about their mother's arrest, hoping for Cruz's release before having to explain her absence.

"I'm technically the adult of the house now," he reflected. "I have to make these hard choices."