In Kenner, Louisiana, the once bustling Taqueria La Conquistadora, owned by Carmela Diaz, now stands silent and empty. The tables are barren, the kitchen remains unused, and the doors are firmly shut. This scene is echoed across a swath of Hispanic businesses, from Nicaraguan cafes to Honduran diners, which have seen their vibrancy fade in recent weeks. The streets, once alive with Spanish signage and community chatter, now seem eerily deserted.

Kenner, known for having the largest Hispanic population in Louisiana, has been hit hard by a sweeping federal immigration crackdown. The operation, targeting 5,000 arrests, has not only strained the local economy but also left a profound impact on both immigrants and U.S. citizens, according to local business owners.

“Every day, fewer people came,” Diaz lamented, tears in her eyes, as she reflected on the closure of her beloved restaurant. “Some days, we didn’t sell anything at all. Ultimately, I had no choice but to close the doors because there simply was no business.”

This crackdown has been visibly felt throughout Kenner. On Wednesday, federal vehicles were seen patrolling the city’s main commercial thoroughfares as the Department of Homeland Security launched the latest phase of its immigration enforcement drive. Similar operations have recently taken place in other major cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, and Charlotte, North Carolina. Videos have surfaced showing federal agents detaining individuals outside local businesses and at construction sites.

Adding to the presence, Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino made an appearance in Kenner, flanked by agents in tactical gear. He proudly announced to the media the commencement of “Catahoula Crunch,” named after the Catahoula Leopard Dog, Louisiana’s state dog, symbolizing the operation’s intensity and focus.

A community on edge

The state’s Hispanic population has boomed in the last two decades, with many of them arriving in the aftermath of 2005’s Hurricane Katrina to help rebuild. In Kenner, just west of New Orleans between the Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain, Hispanics make up about 30% of residents.

Diaz, who is from El Salvador, arrived in 2006 after years of doing farm work in Texas. She opened food trucks, earning enough to buy a home in Kenner, and her business has since expanded to a fleet of trucks and two brick-and-mortar restaurants.

Nearly all that is shuttered at the moment due to the crackdown, and Diaz is scraping by through making home deliveries to people fearful of being swept up by agents.

“They don’t respect anyone,” Diaz said. “They don’t ask for documents. They don’t investigate. They slap the handcuffs on them and take them away.”

DHS says operations target violent offenders

Spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said Thursday that federal agents have already made dozens of arrests, though the agency has not released a full list of people detained.

“Americans should be able to live without fear of violent criminal illegal aliens harming them, their families, or their neighbors,” McLaughlin said in a statement. “In just 24 hours on the ground, our law enforcement officers have arrested violent criminals with rap sheets that include homicide, kidnapping, child abuse, robbery, theft, and assault.”

The office of Mayor Michael Glaser, a former police chief, declined to comment on his stance on the operation. But it said the crackdown “falls under federal jurisdiction” and the mayor expects all agencies operating in the city to conduct themselves “professionally, lawfully and with respect for our community.” It also said the city is “not participating in or advising” on the operation.

However, the city’s police are among the hundreds of local and state law enforcement agencies nationwide that have signed agreements to be part of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement program that authorizes them to hold detainees for potential deportation.

Fearing for vulnerable relatives

Sergio Perez, a Guatemalan immigrant and U.S. citizen who has lived in Kenner since 2010, said he has loved ones there who lack legal permission to be in the country risk and being detained or deported. He also worries that anyone who is Hispanic is at risk of abuse by federal agents, regardless of their immigration status.

While Perez considers Kenner home — a place where it’s easy to find favorite dishes like “caldo de res,” a hearty beef and vegetable stew — he’s prepared to leave the country if family members are deported.

“They don’t want us here,” Perez said. “It’s like you are in someone’s house and you don’t feel welcome. They’re just killing our spirit.”

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