The horns and whistles work

It’s a scene that has played out across Chicago, Charlotte, and now New Orleans, where the Trump administration launched what it calls “Operation Catahoula Crunch.” When Customs and Border Protection and Commander Gregory Bovino move into town, so does Whistlemania. Activists create and distribute thousands of 3D-printed whistles, and their piercing cries are used to signal that immigration agents are nearby. Caravans of protesters follow agents around, raising the alarm as they drive through the streets.

CBP didn’t answers my follow-up questions about the raid I saw that day. But based on my own experience observing Border Patrol and ICE across the country, I found it hard to believe they actually wanted protesters to warn neighbors about their presence. And that certainly wasn’t what I witnessed in Louisiana.

In each city, activists have an uphill battle learning what to do as they try to follow the federal agents around. But after months in Chicago, the journalists have a proficiency that comes with accepting you’ll spend 12 hours a day in the car and, if you’re lucky, get five minutes of footage.

Off we went, staying as close as we could. Suddenly, a Mercedes SUV pulled out between the team we were following and the unmarked vehicle in front of them, laying on the horn. In the distance, we could hear whistles. Already unsure of exactly what was supposed to go down, we were disoriented by the whistles and honking. Was the Mercedes with the feds? Surely not, but they were so close! Did the whistles mean the raid had already started, with at least two vehicles of feds still on the way?