ICE and HSI Operation at Louisiana Construction Site Leaves 11 Migrants Arrested: “They Just Wanted to Work”

• ICE and HSI conducted a raid
• Migrants arrested in labor operation
• Unauthorized workers were employed

At least 11 migrant workers were arrested by federal immigration authorities during an operation at a construction site in southwest Louisiana.

The incident took place on March 13 at the Port of Lake Charles, where agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) carried out what they described as a “large-scale, consensual law enforcement operation at a work site.”

According to ICE, the action stemmed from an investigation revealing that contractors working at the port were employing unauthorized workers who were not legally permitted to work in the United States.

The 11 individuals arrested were undocumented migrants from Mexico, Nicaragua, and Ecuador, ICE stated in a press release.

External Contractors, Not the Port, Targeted by ICE Raids

“The operation focused on external contractors operating within the port, not the port itself,” the federal agency clarified.

Richert Self, executive director of the Port of Lake Charles, confirmed that port police did not participate in the operation and that the detained workers were not directly hired by the port authority, but by outside agencies.

So far, ICE has not disclosed whether criminal charges will be filed against the employers or contractors involved in hiring the undocumented workers.

The arrests have sparked mixed reactions on social media and among immigrant rights advocates.

“They just wanted to work. It’s not like they were criminals!” wrote one Facebook user.

“They weren’t doing anything wrong. They were just earning their daily bread,” commented another person online.

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“While some are destroying this country from within, you arrest those who are building it,” reads another widely shared message expressing indignation.

These types of ICE raids are not new, but have become increasingly frequent amid growing federal pressure to crack down on the employment of undocumented individuals.

In recent months, ICE has ramped up its presence at work sites—especially in sectors like construction, agriculture, and services—where thousands of undocumented migrants have historically been employed.

The case also unfolds amid a growing immigration crisis in the United States, with record numbers of border crossings and detentions reported by Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

Many migrants arrive fleeing violence, poverty, and a lack of opportunity in their home countries.

However, upon arrival in the U.S., they face an overwhelmed immigration system, delays in asylum processing, and the constant risk of detention and deportation.

Just in the last fiscal year, more than 142,000 immigrants were deported, according to ICE data.

Immigrant rights organizations have condemned these deportations, often affecting people with deep roots in the U.S. who pose no threat to society.

“The United States needs real immigration reform, not more raids,” said the organization United We Dream in a statement.

Meanwhile, in communities like Port of Lake Charles, fear is spreading among migrant workers, who worry they could be the next to be detained.

For many of them, seeking a better life in this country is not a crime—but an act of hope.

SOURCE: KKTV 11 ALERT

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