Faith leaders, immigrant families gather to demand protection ahead of Katrina anniversary

On the eve of the 21st anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, faith leaders and local residents gathered inside Mid-City’s St. Anthony of Padua Church on Friday to honor the immigrant workers who helped rebuild New Orleans—and to speak out against recent deportations that community members say are tearing families apart.

Following the devastating 2005 storm, undocumented workers made up roughly half of the local reconstruction workforce, stepping in to restore homes, businesses, and critical infrastructure across the city. More than two decades later, religious leaders say those same workers and their children now live under a shadow of fear.

Clergy present at Friday’s prayer service revealed that nearly 20 parishioners across St. Anthony of Padua and St. Jerome alone have recently been deported.

“After Katrina, people were welcoming everybody to New Orleans to rebuild the city. Saying welcome. Everyone was welcome. It was beautiful. It was so powerful,” said one local priest during the service. “But now, 21 years later, it’s like we took those signs and we hid them.”

Attendees prayed for immigrant families while calling for an end to what speakers described as indiscriminate mass deportations. Mental health professionals present at the service also warned of the acute psychological impact these policies inflict on children separated from deported parents.

“Trauma can last for decades,” one speaker cautioned, emphasizing that family separation creates severe, long-lasting emotional harm that can echo through generations.

Event organizers urged congressional leaders to enact comprehensive immigration reform, including a pathway to legal status.

As the city reflects on its recovery 21 years after Katrina, faith leaders asked the broader community to remember the dignity and contributions of longtime immigrant workers and their U.S.-citizen children.