Weekly protest outside ICE New Orleans field office
New Orleans, LA – On Friday, May 23, 20 people gathered in front of the ICE New Orleans field office to protest the Trump administration’s latest wave of political arrests.
The rally was one of a series of weekly protests organized by the New Orleans for Palestine Coalition and Southeast Dignity not Detention Coalition. Since May, the coalitions have demanded an end to collaboration between ICE and local law enforcement, keeping ICE off campuses, and have defended the right to protest.
Protesters chanted slogans such as “Free our prisoners, free them all! Break their chains, let them fall!” and “Free Mahmoud Khalil now!”
“We’re here to demand the release of Mahmoud Khalil and all political prisoners, all the students who have been kidnapped, and for all immigrants that are in these horrible abuse-ridden detention centers. We’re here to say no collaboration between local police and ICE,” said Edith Romero with Union Migrante.
The New Orleans ICE field office has jurisdiction over Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee. These states house some of the largest detention facilities in the country, and In 2025 alone oversaw the detention of over 6000 people.
Recently, organizers targeted the New Orleans ICE office for protests because three separate pro-Palestine activists were sent to these facilities. Palestine solidarity organizer Mahmoud Khalil remains in the Louisiana Central Louisiana ICE Processing Center.