LAKE CHARLES, La. (3/21/2025) – An ICE raid at Port of Lake Charles on March 13 led to the arrest of 11 individuals working without authorization.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation targeted commercial and industrial contractors at this critical infrastructure site.
Authorities identified and detained individuals from Mexico, Nicaragua, and Ecuador during the ICE raid at Port of Lake Charles. The consensual operation aimed to investigate illegal employment practices by contractors at the port.
The Homeland Security Task Force Louisiana led the raid with support from multiple federal and local agencies. Federal support included ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations, Customs and Border Protection, FBI, ATF, and the U.S. Coast Guard. Local agencies involved were the Louisiana State Police, the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Lake Charles Harbor Police.
Employers must verify employees’ identity and work authorization using the Employment Eligibility Verification Form I-9 under federal law. ICE enforces compliance through I-9 inspections, effectively ensuring adherence to employment regulations.
This operation aligns with the Trump administration’s intensified immigration enforcement efforts. In the first 50 days of President Trump’s term, ICE made 32,809 enforcement arrests, nearly matching the total arrests from the entire previous fiscal year. Nearly half of these arrests were of convicted criminals, and about a third had pending criminal charges.
ICE’s strategy integrates investigations into related criminal activities such as smuggling, human trafficking, and fraud. Worksite operations like this one highlight ongoing federal efforts to deter illegal employment practices nationwide.
