Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser wants to set the record straight on his comments about U.S. Customs and Border Protection sweeps in southeast Louisiana.
The Republican made headlines Wednesday when he said he believes there’s a “better way” for the immigration enforcement operation known as “Catahoula Crunch” to be carried out.
In an interview with WRKF, Nungesser said he’s all for criminals being apprehended, but those with proper documentation to work in the country and who haven’t committed any crimes shouldn’t have to live in fear. He also said the Department of Homeland Security’s lack of transparency is responsible for fearmongering.
“Is going door to door, pulling people out of their houses and cars, is that the right way to do this?” Nungesser said. “I hope to God it's not arresting people to reach a quota. And if it's not, they need to say that because it's been said in the past that they gotta arrest 5,000 people in the New Orleans area or in Louisiana. “I hope that's not the fact because that has put the fear of God in a lot of people.”
Nungesser, who oversees state tourism, said many hotels could be faced with cancelling reservations due to the lack of employees showing up for work for fear of being detained. He said the sweeps are hurting other sectors as well.
“I've got hotel owners calling me, saying they can't get the rooms clean because nobody is coming to work. Restaurant staff are not showing up, and these people building buildings can't complete their projects because nobody's coming to work,” he said. “We gotta fix that, and I don't know how to fix it.”
When asked if images and reports of CBP detainments are hurting tourism, he said he’s sure it is, but isn’t sure to what degree.
“We won't know until after the season, but common sense tells you if you see all this going on on TV, especially if you're a foreigner, living here or coming here, it would make you have second thoughts,” he said. “I think the images on TV do not help tourism of people wanting to come to a city where this is going on.”
Nungesser said he’s heard from a woman in north Louisiana whose immigration attorney told her not to leave her home.
“I spoke to one lady in Shreveport who has a date to become a citizen. It's a long process, and people have been waiting many years,” he said. “Well, if you've been on this process and they pick you up and deport you, you have to start all over again. That's not right.”
Nungesser’s comments have put him at odds with Republican Gov. Jeff Landry, who’s been vocally supportive of the DHS immigration sweep. On Thursday, Landry spokesperson Kate Kelly told NOLA.com that Nungesser’s comments were ‘disappointing,’ and accused him of prioritizing non-native criminals over U.S. citizens.
Nungesser insists that he and Landry have a good work relationship. In his interview with NOLA.com, he said the newspaper asked if he had discussed his thoughts on “Catahoula Crunch” with the governor, to which he said no.
“They (NOLA.com) said, ‘Well, do you plan to?’ I said, ‘Well, I've been trying to get a meeting for the last several months to discuss a lot of things,’” said Nungesser. “It wasn't a dig at the governor, so unfortunately, to slap back at me for just a normal comment is what breeds this crazy political world we're in today. And I'm being eaten up on the radio today as wanting the criminals to be here and everything else. And I think the far left and the far right have to take a chill pill.”
Nungesser said he understands the governor is extremely busy, but he does want to meet with him in person.
“ I'm very brutal and honest about everything,” he said. “I want to discuss a lot of things with the governor that I don't discuss in public, that I think need attention, and so I absolutely want to discuss this and many things with him, and we just haven't been able to get together for several months.”
The Republican said he’s reached out to U.S. House Majority Leader and Louisiana Congressman Steve Scalise for clarification on the mission of Catahoula Crunch and the reported goal of 5,000 arrests.
“ I don't know if it's a quota we're trying to reach or we're trying to deport so many people to show what a bad job the past president did at letting people in, but some of these people, I just think there's a better way to handle it,” said Nungesser.
