A reported immigration enforcement action inside a downtown New Orleans courthouse is drawing sharp criticism from advocates and raising new questions about due process protections for immigrants navigating the legal system.
According to a press release from organizers and corroborating accounts shared by advocacy group Unión Migrante, two parents of young children were arrested Thursday morning during or immediately after an immigration hearing at the federal building located at 365 Canal Street.
Witnesses inside the courthouse described a chaotic and emotional scene. Court observers say that between roughly 9:00 and 9:30 a.m., multiple people heard children screaming as federal immigration agents detained both parents near the elevators after they exited a courtroom. The children, organizers say, ultimately left the building with an older sibling while their parents were taken into custody.
Advocates claim this marks the first such arrest at the New Orleans immigration court in nearly a year, though Immigration and Customs Enforcement, known as ICE, has been periodically observed in the building since at least May 2025.
“People are going to court to report to their hearings and do right by the law,” said Arch Chaney, a former attorney and retired veterans advocate who has participated in courtwatching efforts. “It’s sickening to see them ambushed like this.”
Organizers say ICE agents were present in multiple courtrooms as early as 8:00 a.m. Thursday. Despite hundreds of individuals reportedly moving through the courthouse that morning, only the two parents were detained. As of now, it remains unclear why that particular family was targeted.
The circumstances of the arrests have also raised concern among immigration advocates. According to Unión Migrante, the detentions occurred during what is known as a “Master Calendar Hearing,” a preliminary stage in immigration proceedings typically used to set schedules and review basic case details. Arrests at this stage are considered unusual.
In previous instances at the same courthouse, advocates say detentions were linked to more advanced stages of proceedings, such as after a final deportation order, or involved individuals subject to expedited removal policies.
For many immigrants, the situation underscores what advocates describe as a no-win scenario. Failing to appear in court can result in an automatic deportation order issued in absentia, severely limiting future legal options. At the same time, appearing in person may now carry new risks.
Advocacy groups are urging immigrants with upcoming hearings to consult experienced immigration attorneys, noting that legal representation significantly improves outcomes. A study by Syracuse University’s Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, known as TRAC, has found that immigrants with attorneys are several times more likely to succeed in their cases. Attorneys may also be able to arrange remote appearances in some circumstances, reducing the risk of in person enforcement actions.
Still, advocates warn that certain individuals may face heightened risk of arrest, including those with prior deportation orders, recent arrivals to the United States, or incomplete asylum applications.
In response to Thursday’s incident, a coalition of local organizations, including Unión Migrante, Indivisible NOLA, and Jewish Voice for Peace, called for an emergency protest Friday morning outside the immigration court to demand an end to arrests at immigration hearings and call for stronger protections for due process.
The incident comes amid ongoing national debates over immigration enforcement practices and the role of courthouses as sites of arrest. Advocates argue that such actions deter people from participating in the legal system altogether, undermining the very process meant to adjudicate their cases.
As of publication, federal officials have not publicly commented on the arrests or confirmed the details described by witnesses and organizers.
For now, the events at the New Orleans immigration court have left many in the community shaken and bracing for what could signal a shift in enforcement tactics moving forward.
