NEW ORLEANS, LA —  The New Orleans City Council is introducing an online portal for citizens to report potential abuse from federal immigration officers. Following recent reports of escalating immigration enforcement in the Greater New Orleans area, the City Council created the Know Your Rights webpage to help citizens report potential abuse by federal agents and educate themselves on their rights when interacting with agencies such as Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol.

NEW ORLEANS, LA — The New Orleans City Council today advanced a balanced budget framework put forward by Mayor-elect Helena Moreno and the City Council, including current Budget Chair Joe Giarrusso and 2026 Budget Chair Lesli Harris to address the City’s significant fiscal challenges and ensure continuity of essential services.

NEW ORLEANS, Wednesday, October 29, 2025 | Today, the New Orleans City Council held a special meeting to introduce legislation to place guardrails on the proposed $125 million of revenue bonds that will be used to pay for City employees and to ensure the budget passed by the Council is followed. In addition, the Council will grant the Louisiana Legislative Auditor access to review the City’s finances from 2022 and beyond, and to review the City’s financial position regularly. Understating the urgency and gravity of the City’s finances, the City Council is proactively legislating solutions to show fiscal transparency and accountability.

“I’m confident that as a Council working closely with the Chief Administrative Officer’s team, we can deliver a balanced budget just as we have done year after year. While I appreciate the administration searching for revenue raising solutions, we should pursue all other options rather than raising local fees and taxes. Cost of living burdens are already too high for the people of New Orleans. I appreciate CAO Joe Threat looking to find efficiencies in government, and as I mentioned in today’s meeting, there are even likely opportunities to draw additional revenues through strategy and early collaboration with our state legislators. I look forward to working to find solutions to meet the priority needs of the people of New Orleans and to address our budget obligations by December 1.”

NEW ORLEANS, LA — New Orleans City Council Vice President Helena Moreno advanced legislation during today’s Governmental Affairs Committee directing the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) to establish a new local safety alert system designed to locate missing vulnerable children and adults. This legislation is a direct response to the recent heartbreaking situation concerning Bryan Vazquez, who went missing in New Orleans and his case did not meet established requirements for an AMBER alert to be issued.