Deportations aren’t new, but the way they’re happening now feels different. ICE raids targeting immigrants have become more frequent, more aggressive, and less predictable. They are happening on the street, in front of businesses, outside schools and universities, at traffic stops, and even at green card ceremonies.
Across the country, from Los Angeles to Chicago to New York and now New Orleans, individuals are feeling the impact. Most people currently detained have no criminal convictions, yet information about their arrests is scarce. Families and lawyers are often left piecing together rumors, unsure where their loved ones and clients have been taken or what will happen next.
Systemic Profiling and the New Reality for New Orleans Residents
Among those navigating this moment on the ground is River, a Jewish Service Corps Member in New Orleans. River serves as an Immigrant Advocate at Immigration Services and Legal Advocacy (ISLA), where he supports attorneys through paralegal work, coordinates volunteers, and helps organize community outreach efforts as enforcement increases.
In this moment, River has been hearing the same message again and again: People are scared to leave their homes.
Many have stopped going to work, despite the financial pressure that creates. Parents worry about their children as they head to school. Everyday life is being disrupted as families avoid public spaces, cancel plans, and reorganize their schedules around safety. Media narratives often paint immigrants as criminals, even though many of those being detained are people simply trying to earn a living and provide for their families.
One story in particular affected River deeply. ICE had targeted janitorial staff at the airport and questioned only those with darker complexions. “It’s all rooted in racism,” River said. He described how even U.S. citizens are being subjected to stops and questioning based on their skin color.
Listening and Supporting Local Efforts for Change
River majored in Peace and Justice Studies in college, which shaped how he views what is unfolding now. His studies focused on conflict resolution, transformative justice, and the prison-industrial complex. Louisiana has one of the highest incarceration rates in the world, and the overlap between incarceration and immigrant detention is impossible to ignore. Both systems push already marginalized communities even further to the edges.
New Orleans also holds its own history of collective action. Following Hurricane Katrina, mutual aid networks expanded rapidly. River learned about this in college, and it is one of the reasons he felt compelled to join Avodah in NOLA. Mindful of his position as an outsider, he works to “listen, give voice, and support those who are a part of the cultural and spiritual backbone of the city,” using his own voice to aid in communal change.
Grounded in Jewish Values and Shared Responsibility
Living in the Avodah bayit (communal home) with seven other Jewish Service Corps Members grounds River even more. At home, they have ongoing conversations about privilege, identity, and responsibility. Through Avodah’s programming, they learn how to support communities with different backgrounds and experiences, and how to do that work with humility and care.
“For me, Jewishness is inseparable from tikkun olam [repairing the world],” River expressed. He hopes to use his insight into oppression and antisemitism, along with the awareness of the privilege he holds, to advocate for a world that rejects marginalizing people in any form.
Even in a time filled with fear, River finds moments of resilience. Joy in the bayit. Support from coworkers. Small acts of kindness in the community. These moments help keep the work possible.
River hopes the wider Avodah community will help immigrant communities across the country. Real impact is possible when you attend Know Your Rights trainings, volunteer with local organizations that hold the system accountable, and support immigrant-owned businesses.
As ICE activity grows in New Orleans, River’s work reminds us that behind each headline is a person trying to live in safety and dignity. We’re so proud of River and the Avodahniks across the country who dedicate their personal and professional time to supporting our immigrant neighbors, families, and friends.
To understand how these same patterns are unfolding across the country, and what is at stake for immigrant families everywhere, we invite you to watch our conversation with immigration attorney and Jewish Service Corps alum Aaron Lawee. Understanding the scope is the first step. Choosing how we respond is the next.
