Federal agents detained a Honduran mother in Kenner this week, leaving her teenage son to care for his disabled sister.
Vilma Cruz, 38, had just arrived at her newly leased home when agents surrounded her car. She managed one call to her eldest son before officers smashed a window and detained her. Cruz, a house painter and mother of two, now sits in federal custody awaiting removal proceedings.
Her arrest forms part of a sweeping immigration operation targeting Kenner, a heavily Hispanic suburb near New Orleans. The Department of Homeland Security said agents have made more than 250 arrests across southeast Louisiana this month.
Cruz’s detention forced her 18-year-old son, Jonathan Escalante, a US citizen, to assume adult responsibilities overnight. He now manages bills, medical care, and daily needs for his 9-year-old sister, who has a physical disability.
DHS said Cruz refused to exit her vehicle, prompting agents to break the window. Records reviewed by the Associated Press showed no criminal history for her.
The operation, called “Catahoula Crunch,” aims for 5,000 arrests. Officials say it targets violent offenders, but immigrant advocates dispute that claim.
Some Louisiana leaders warned the crackdown has triggered fear, family separations, and labor shortages. Community groups say children now go to school unsure if parents will return home.
