Ankur Desai

And that's what they're really pushing for.

And they've said that they intend to vigorously defend it and that these violations go against everything that having a free press in the United States stands for.

Global Affairs reporter Mimi Swaby reporting.

US immigration officials have begun an operation in New Orleans to arrest undocumented immigrants, making it the latest city to be targeted by President Trump's crackdown.

After a series of sweeping raids, mostly in Latino communities, officials say they were targeting those with criminal backgrounds.

But the operation has sparked a fierce backlash in the Democrat-run city, as Tom Bateman reports.

The mass deportation raids start at dawn, and we're out looking for the agents of President Trump's migration crackdown as it arrives in New Orleans.

We find Latino neighbourhoods on edge, each passing car raising alarm.

We get word of a raid, a report of labourers on a roof and Border Patrol agents surrounding a house.

We arrive to find two activists here among neighbours who filmed it.

They had a sniper resting on the front of this van here, pointing up at the roof when I came.

I came in from that side.

They were laying down, the workers.

There was no threats were being made.

Nobody had a weapon out.

They were laying down.

Their hands were in sight.

What went through your mind when you saw that?

Heartbreak.

heartbreak.