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'The District Court improperly inserted itself into an active primary campaign, causing much confusion and upsetting the delicate federal-state balance in elections.'Unruly anti-ICE protesters shut down NOLA city council meeting — police carry out activist
New Orleans City Council’s Thursday meeting was brought to a standstill by spitting-mad activists protesting the Trump administration’s recent immigration crackdown in the city.
'We’ll be back.'
The Department of Homeland Security confirmed this week the launch of Operation Catahoula Crunch in the Louisiana city, targeting criminal illegal aliens. The immigration enforcement efforts sparked backlash from some in the local community.
During a Thursday New Orleans City Council meeting, residents lined up to demand that council members designate all city-owned properties as “ICE-free zones” and pass an ordinance that prevents cooperation with immigration officials.
Several demonstrators held signs that read, “No collaboration with ICE/DHS.”
The council repeatedly muted the microphone after informing the protesters that their remarks were “not germane” to the agenda items.
Despite this, the activists continued to approach the microphone during public comments to repeat their demands. A couple of protesters refused to sit down and continued to shout and disrupt the meeting.
RELATED: This Southern sanctuary city is next on the list for federal immigration law enforcement
Council members responded by suspending public comment on the agenda item and calling a recess.
The crowd of protesters then erupted, shouting and screaming at both the council members and the police officers present in the chamber.
Videos captured by FreedomNews.tv showed police officers slowly escorting the protesting crowd out of the building, with many individuals refusing to leave. Several officers were forced to carry out one unruly activist.
After several minutes of scuffling, shouting, cursing, and some protesters defiantly raising middle fingers at officers, the crowd was finally locked out of the premises.
“We’ll be back,” they shouted at the police from the other side of the fence.
RELATED: Man flings Molotov cocktails at federal building while yelling 'anti-ICE' comments, feds say
According to NOLA.com, 30 protesters were ejected from the council’s chambers.
Toni Jones, an organizer for the event and a member of the New Orleans Alliance against Racial and Political Repression, told Verite News, “We haven’t seen City Council take a stand, and we demand that they declare they will not cooperate with [ICE] in any way.”
On Thursday, DHS highlighted the arrest of a kidnapper and sex offender as a result of Operation Catahoula Crunch. According to the department, he was previously sentenced to 40 years in prison and later released on parole.
“These are SICK people who have lived among us for far too long. THEY WILL GO BACK,” DHS stated.
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This Southern sanctuary city is next on the list for federal immigration law enforcement
The Trump administration is continuing its deportation operations in more cities. Now the Department of Homeland Security is launching another operation in a Southern sanctuary city.
The DHS confirmed in a Wednesday press release that it is surging resources for increased deportations in New Orleans, Louisiana.
'It is asinine that these monsters were released back onto New Orleans streets to COMMIT MORE CRIMES and create more victims.'
The project, dubbed Operation Catahoula Crunch, is targeting criminal illegal aliens who have been allowed to "roam free thanks to sanctuary policies that force local authorities to ignore U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrest detainers," according to the DHS.
“It is asinine that these monsters were released back onto New Orleans streets to COMMIT MORE CRIMES and create more victims. Catahoula Crunch targets include violent criminals who were released after arrest for home invasion, armed robbery, grand theft auto, and rape. Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, we are restoring law and order for the American people," Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.
RELATED: 'So dumb it hurts my soul': DHS brutally fact-checks viral 'new data' from Cato Institute
The press release included mugshots of some of the "worst of the worst" criminals targeted in the operation. The listed criminals are from Honduras, Vietnam, Jordan, Mexico, Guatemala, and El Salvador.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem announced the commencement of the operation Wednesday morning: "The men and women of DHS law enforcement have landed in The Big Easy. Operation Catahoula Crunch will remove the worst of the worst from New Orleans, Louisiana, after the city’s sanctuary politicians have ignored the rule of law."
"LAW AND ORDER WILL PREVAIL," she added.
Border Patrol commander of operations Gregory Bovino, who has been at the head of many of the widely publicized deportation operations across the country, signaled that the new operation was off to a good start: "We are here arresting criminals who should not be here. The state, local and federal law enforcement partners in Louisiana are excellent partners!!"
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Stunned judge reveals fate of woman involved in deadly kidnapping of 2 young sisters found in a pit — 1 did not survive
Earlier this year, 34-year-old Victoria Cox — a mother of three — pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and kidnapping after admitting to helping a friend abduct two children.
The friend in question is 38-year-old Daniel Callihan, a resident of Amite, Louisiana.
'These acts you committed, do you understand how awful these acts were? You understand how innocent these two little girls were?'
On June 12, 2024, Callihan fatally stabbed a mother of two — Callie Brunett — more than 50 times in her home in Loranger, Louisiana, and then kidnapped Brunett's two daughters, ages 4 and 6, according to court documents.
Indeed, Callihan stole the stabbing victim's 2012 Chrysler vehicle, placed Brunett's two daughters inside it, and eventually drove to Amite, court documents show. That's where he picked up Cox.
Law enforcement tracked down the missing girls to a property in Jackson, Mississippi, where they made a ghastly discovery. Authorities on June 13, 2024, found the body of the 4-year-old girl in a "pit," according to a statement last month from the United States Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Louisiana.
Jackson Police Chief Joseph Wade described the crime scene as "sickening" and revealed that he "observed small cages" and "small wired enclosures," which "led us to believe that it was a location where human trafficking probably could have happened," People magazine reported.
The 6-year-old sister was found alive and immediately transported to a hospital; she has since been reunited with relatives.
After Callihan was arrested, he admitted to investigators that he stabbed to death the mother of the two girls and kidnapped them, the U.S. Attorney’s office stated. Callihan also confessed that he "smothered" the 4-year-old girl to death "by holding [her] closely against his chest," according to People magazine.
'At any point in your mind were you thinking about your children when you did this? And that didn’t cause you to stop?'
United States District Judge Lance M. Africk handed Callihan consecutive life sentences for kidnapping resulting in death and transporting a minor in interstate commerce with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Authorities also determined that Cox was Callihan's co-conspirator in the disturbing crimes.
While Callihan and Cox engaged in sexual battery against the 6-year-old girl, court docs said, the sexual battery charge was dropped.
Cox has three children of her own — ages 6, 8, and 9 — and during her sentencing hearing, a stunned Hinds County Circuit Judge Winston Kidd asked her how she, as a mother, could participate in such a vile act against young children, according to WLBT-TV.
"At any point in your mind were you thinking about your children when you did this? And that didn’t cause you to stop?" Kidd asked Cox.
Cox replied, "I tried, but I couldn’t."
Cox added to the judge that Callihan had forced her to get high on drugs on the day of the kidnapping, according to WLBT, and that she had been out of rehab for just two days before the kidnapping.
Cox also claimed she "didn’t know" Callihan didn't have "permission" to have the children, WLBT reported.
Cox told the courtroom, "If I could change it all, I would, but I can't."
The station added that Cox released a handwritten note in court requesting to plead guilty as quickly as possible.
Cox wrote, "I've been trying to get my attorney to come go over my plea deal with me, but he has failed to do so. I would like to accept it. Can you put me on the court docket?"
According to Court TV, Hinds County District Attorney Jody E. Owens II noted that his office had never witnessed that happen before — and said of Cox, "She realized, I believe, that this crime was so horrific that the atonement level has to start today."
Indeed, Kidd told Cox, "These acts you committed, do you understand how awful these acts were? You understand how innocent these two little girls were? This is something you’re going to have a lot of time to think about."
Kidd last week sentenced Cox to a pair of concurrent sentences: 40 years in prison on the murder charge and 25 years on the kidnapping charge, according to WWL-TV.
Cox had faced the possibility of a death sentence.
The Jackson Police Department did not immediately respond to Blaze News' request for comment.
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Middle school boy faces 10 felonies in AI nude scandal. But expulsion of girl, 13 — an alleged victim — sparks firestorm.
A Louisiana middle school boy is facing 10 felony counts for using AI to create fake nude photos of female classmates and sharing them with other students, according to multiple reports. However, one alleged female victim has been expelled following her reported reaction to the scandal.
On Aug. 26, detectives with the Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office launched an investigation into reports that male students had shared fake nude photos of female classmates at the Sixth Ward Middle School in Choctaw.
'What’s going on here, I’ll be quite frank, is nothing more than disgusting.'
Benjamin Comeaux, an attorney representing the alleged female victim, said the images used real photos of the girls, including selfies, with AI-generated nude bodies, the Washington Post reported.
Comeaux said administrators reported the incident to the school resource officer, according to the Post.
The Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office said in a statement that the incident "led to an altercation on a school bus involving one of the male students and one of the female students."
Comeaux said during a bus ride, several boys shared AI-made nude images of a 13-year-old girl, and the girl in question struck one of the students sharing the images, the Post reported.
However, school administrators expelled the 13-year-old girl over the physical altercation.
Meanwhile, police said that a male suspect on Sept. 15 was charged with 10 counts of unlawful dissemination of images created by artificial intelligence.
The sheriff's office noted that the investigation is ongoing, and there is a possibility of additional arrests and charges.
Sheriff Craig Webre noted that the female student involved in the alleged bus fight will not face criminal charges "given the totality of the circumstances."
Webre added that the investigation involves technology and social media platforms, which could take several weeks and even months to "attain and investigate digital evidence."
The alarming incident was brought back to life during a fiery Nov. 5 school board meeting during which attorneys for the expelled female student slammed school administrators.
According to WWL-TV, an attorney said, "She had enough, what is she supposed to do?"
"She reported it to the people who are supposed to protect her, but she was victimized, and finally she tried to knock the phone out of his hand and swat at him," the same attorney added.
One attorney also noted, "This was not a random act of violence ... this was a reasonable response to what this kid endured, and there were so many options less than expulsion that could’ve been done. Had she not been a victim, we’re not here, and none of this happens."
Her representatives also warned, "You are setting a dangerous precedent by doing anything other than putting her back in school," according to WWL.
Matthew Ory, one of the attorneys representing the female student, declared, "What’s going on here, I’ll be quite frank, is nothing more than disgusting. Her image was taken by artificial intelligence and manipulated and manufactured to be child pornography."
School board member Valerie Bourgeois pushed back by saying, "Yes, she is a victim, I agree with that, but if she had not hit the young man, we wouldn’t be here today, it wouldn’t have come to an expulsion hearing."
Tina Babin, another school board member, added, "I found the video on the bus to be sickening, the whole thing, everything about it, but the fact that this child went through this all day long does weigh heavy on me."
Lafourche Parish Public Schools Superintendent Jarod Martin explained, "Sometimes in life, we can be both victims and perpetrators. Sometimes in life, horrible things happen to us, and we get angry and do things."
Ultimately, the school board allowed the girl to return to school, but she will be on probation until January.
Attorneys for the girl's family, Greg Miller and Morgyn Young, told WWL that they intend to file a lawsuit.
"Nobody took any action to confiscate cell phones, to put an end to this," Miller claimed. "It's pure negligence on the part of the school board."
Martin defended the district in a statement that read:
Any and all allegations of criminal misconduct on our campuses are immediately reported to the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office. After reviewing this case, the evidence suggests that the school did, in fact, follow all of our protocols and procedures for reporting such instances.
Sheriff Webre warned, "While the ability to alter images has been available for decades, the rise of AI has made it easier for anyone to alter or create such images with little to no training or experience."
Webre also said, "This incident highlights a serious concern that all parents should address with their children.”
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Gun-wielding male kicks down door of home, opens fire at homeowner. But his target is armed too.
Law enforcement in Alexandria, Louisiana, responded to the 1800 block of Henry Street just after 7:30 a.m. Saturday for a reported home invasion, the Rapides Parish Sheriff's Office said. Alexandria is about 200 miles northwest of New Orleans.
Officials said a black male identified as 33-year-old Davante Deundra Thomas of Alexandria allegedly kicked down the door of the residence armed with a handgun and fired at the homeowner.
'People have a right to protect themselves.'
But the homeowner also had a gun — and wasted no time using it.
Officials said the homeowner returned fire, striking Thomas.
After deputies arrived, Thomas was found dead inside the home with the gun still in his hand, officials said.
Sheriff’s detectives and the Crime Scene Unit responded and began their investigation and processed the scene for evidence, officials said.
The sheriff's office said no arrests have been made.
Officials said the investigation is still active and ongoing, and all those with any information about the incident should contact detectives at 318-473-6727 or the sheriff's office at 318-473-6700.
Commenters reacting to the shooting were a bit mixed in their opinions. Most seemed completely behind the homeowner who returned fire — but others believed there was more to the story:
- "Turns out the more you F around the more you find out," one commenter said.
- "Welp, he won't do that again!!!" another user noted.
- "This is a good opportunity to teach your kids about what happens if you go breaking into houses," another commenter wrote.
- "People have a right to protect themselves," another user said.
- "Crazy thing is people don't realize how many homeowners actually have weapons in their homes just for this reason," another commenter observed.
- "Naw, we aren't getting the entire story here," another user countered. "Don't pass judgement without all the facts."
- "This just doesn't sound right to me, either," another commenter stated. "Something [is] not adding up."
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DHS probe confirms Biden's FEMA refused aid to Trump-supporting disaster survivors
The Federal Emergency Management Agency, while under the leadership of the Biden administration, was accused of skipping homes that displayed campaign signs supporting President Donald Trump in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton.
A whistleblower report surfaced in late 2024 that FEMA relief workers had been ordered not to provide aid to people displaying Trump signs on their property, eventually prompting several firings at the agency.
'They deliberately avoided houses displaying support for President Trump and the Second Amendment, illegally collected and stored information about survivors' political beliefs, and failed to report their malicious behavior.'
Then-FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell told Congress that it was an isolated incident, blaming the misstep on a since-terminated employee.
However, a Department of Homeland Security report released Tuesday revealed that the "abuses were widespread, systematic, and occurred during multiple disasters dating back to Hurricane Ida in 2021."
Further, the probe claimed that the workers also violated the Privacy Act of 1974 by collecting information about the political beliefs of disaster survivors.
The DHS report listed some examples of observed political signs and flags that FEMA relief workers documented.
RELATED: FEMA fires 3 more supervisors tied to home-skipping scandal impacting Trump supporters
"Trump sign, no contact per leadership," a FEMA worker wrote in 2024 about a Florida home, according to the report.
"A lot of explicit political flags, posters, etc. 'F**k Joe Biden' 'MAGA 2024' 'Joe Biden Sucks' 'TRUMP 2024,'" another worker allegedly noted in 2021 about a Pennsylvania residence. "We do not recommend anyone visiting this location."
"Homeowner had sign stated ... this is Trump country," a third reportedly wrote about a Louisiana property in 2021.
"The federal government was withholding aid against Americans in crisis based on their political beliefs — this should horrify every American, regardless of political persuasion," DHS Secretary Kristi Noem stated.
"For years, FEMA employees under the Biden administration intentionally delayed much-needed aid to Americans suffering from natural disasters on purely political grounds," Noem continued. "They deliberately avoided houses displaying support for President Trump and the Second Amendment, illegally collected and stored information about survivors' political beliefs, and failed to report their malicious behavior. We will not let this stand."
The DHS referred the case to the Department of Justice for potential prosecution.
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