New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick made waves earlier this week when she stated illegal immigration by foreign nationals in the U.S. is a «civil issue» and that therefore her agency will not enforce certain immigration laws — but would respond when ensuring public safety and that those involved in a federal operation are «not going to get hurt.»

Kirkpatrick made the remarks at a press conference marking the end of a 15-year consent decree between the city and federal government, after then-Mayor Mitch Landrieu invited the Obama Justice Department to probe the agency for alleged «pattern or practice» of civil rights-related misconduct.

During press questions, Kirkpatrick responded to one reporter by saying that to «be in the country undocumented is (a) civil issue.»

«We will not enforce civil law, and so our support is to make sure they’re not going to get hurt and our community is not in danger,» Kirkpatrick said.

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«Am I expecting them to come?» she said. «Yes, I’m expecting them to come. But can I tell you they’re coming Friday? No, I can’t tell you that.» 

«If they call for help because they say they’re going to be hurt. We are going to be there in order to help anyone in danger. We are not enforcing — because we can’t.»

Kirkpatrick’s comments swiftly went viral on social media, with critics — largely from the right — lambasting her for claiming her agency cannot enforce certain immigration laws.

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Commentator Chaya Raichik, better known as «LibsOfTikTok,» also responded to the superintendent’s comments.

«Anne Kirkpatrick… says that illegally invading the U.S. is a ‘civil issue’ and her police force ‘will not enforce the law.’»

«Illegally invading the country is a crime. This is who is in charge of the police.»

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«This is Law Enforcement 101. Every American knows this,» conservative commentator David Harris Jr. tweeted separately.

Florida journalist Eric Daugherty responded to a clip of Kirkpatrick, writing: «False. It is a crime.»

«How can you be the leader of a major police force and not know this? Arrest and deport. No exceptions,» Daugherty said.

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Louisiana Republican Attorney General Liz Murrill commented below Daugherty’s message, saying that she spoke directly to Kirkpatrick about her comments.

«It is a state crime to obstruct ICE and federal immigration enforcement. Law enforcement should enforce the law,» Murrill said.

In response to Murrill, several other critics reamed Kirkpatrick for being in charge of the New Orleans Police Department the night a man mowed down revelers ahead of the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day, suggesting there were preventative measures on Bourbon Street, including installation of bollards and hardened temporary infrastructure, that were missed.

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Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick answers questions from the New Orleans City Council. (New Orleans City Council)

Other critics cited 8 U.S. Code 1325, which criminalizes «improper entry by (an) alien.» That section describes how it is a criminal act to elude immigration inspection, provide false documentation or enter the U.S. illegally outside a port of entry.

Kirkpatrick’s reference to civil law referenced the fact there is a section in the code under the Immigration & Naturalization Act that says being unlawfully present in the U.S. for a visa overstay or other infraction is indeed civil, not criminal.

«Inadmissible aliens,» as described in law, also can face civil removal proceedings under 8 USC 1227 and 8 USC 1182.

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In a separate statement, Murrill said she fully expects «all law enforcement and local officials will not obstruct federal authorities and will enforce state law to protect people and property.»

«I support ICE operations that ensure violent criminals are removed and ensure legal immigration policies are respected and followed,» she added.

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Fox News Digital reached out to the New Orleans Police Department for comment.

An official who picked up the phone indicated they would seek out the proper official to pass along any comment, but the inquiry was not returned.

Early on Sunday, we learned the Vatican’s chartered Airbus 320, which had ferried Pope Leo XIV, his entourage and 80 journalists to Turkey on Thanksgiving Day, was safe for travel after its software had been successfully updated. 

Our flight to Lebanon is on. Hallelujah!

I have been on nearly a dozen papal trips as a Fox News reporter and producer, but four days into Pope Leo’s first international pilgrimage — this one takes the cake… or maybe a reference to a pie is more appropriate? Is this peace-pilgrimage trip to the Middle East just pie in the sky?

We certainly had pies in the sky on the flight from Rome. I was seated next to a colleague who brought a pecan pie (which smelled divine, no pun intended) and behind two who gifted our Chicago-born pope home-baked pumpkin pies. Pope Leo was over the moon! Our Thanksgiving meal was less exciting but appreciated, served with a menu, real silverware and cloth napkins.

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Fast-forward to Saturday night, after three long, action-packed days, at a 4,000-strong Mass in Istanbul for the country’s minuscule Catholic community. (Over a million Christians, especially Armenians, were wiped out in World War I by the Ottoman Empire. Now, most of the country’s 85 million people are Sunni Muslim. Catholics are a mere 0.2% of the population.)

At Mass, I sat next to my colleague Elise Harris, the first to be granted an interview with Pope Leo (he chose a woman, and an American, how cool is that!) and baker of one of those beautiful pumpkin pies. As Pope Leo walked down a side aisle near us in a cloud of incense, he gave us an almost imperceptible nod and blessed us with the sign of the cross. Amazing!

During the homily, the pope returned to the themes of peace and unity, the very same he emphasized on Thursday in Turkey’s capital, Ankara, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and again on Friday in Istanbul with Jewish religious leaders and later that day in Iznik, when he joined Orthodox patriarchs and ecumenical leaders to commemorate the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea. 

After that meeting and prayer with Patriarch Bartholomew, the spiritual leader of the world’s Orthodox Christians, he signed a joint declaration in a show of Christian unity.

But the pope also spoke of the need for unity with non-Christians. «We live in a world where religion is too often used to justify wars and atrocities,» he said. «We need to appreciate what unites us, breaking down the walls of prejudices and mistrust… to become peacemakers.»

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One man not invited to meet the pope in Iznik was Mehmet Ali Agca, the Turkish national who shot and severely wounded Pope John Paul II in Vatican City’s St. Peter’s Square in 1981. Agca was released from prison in 2010 after completing his sentences in Italy and Turkey and now lives in Iznik. He has never explained his motive for the assassination attempt, but Turkish media quoted him as saying he hoped to meet Leo «for two or three minutes.» Instead, he was escorted out of town. 

Sometimes history repeats itself.

Back in 2006, I came to Istanbul for Fox News Radio to cover Pope Benedict XVI’s conciliatory visit aimed at quelling the violent uproar over comments he had made in a speech in Germany, in which he quoted a Byzantine emperor saying Islam was spread through «the sword.»

It was a big deal when Benedict was seen in the Blue Mosque, the country’s most important Muslim place of worship, with his head bowed and lips moving. I remember my Reuters colleague excitedly yelling out in the press room, «The pope is praying!» Well, yes, he might be doing that, I thought — but how to explain its importance in a 30-second audio clip? 

In 2014, Pope Francis also visited the Blue Mosque and openly prayed. So it was natural to assume that our new pope would do the same. The Vatican press office even said in its daily communiqué he had. 

But we ‘vaticanisti» were inside the Blue Mosque on Saturday morning, having left our shoes at the entrance and put on a headscarf, and saw there were clearly no pauses!

Later, the press spokesman Matteo Bruni clarified that the pope had visited the mosque «in silence, in the spirit of reflection and listening, with profound respect for the place and the faith of those gathered here in prayer.» 

That description of a spirit of «reflection and listening with respect for others» does indeed capture the essence of this Midwestern 70-year-old. 

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His first words after being chosen to lead the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics and thrust onto the world’s stage six months ago were, «Peace be with you.» 

But it’s still too early to see how his message of unity and the brotherhood of man will resonate in the conflict-ridden Middle East.

Más de 6 millones de hondureños están habilitados para votar este domingo. Foto. Xinhua

Los resultados se conocerán a la medianoche de la Argentina. Foto: EFE

Los principales candidatos

Nasry Asfura, Rixi Moncada y Salvador Nasralla, los tres candidatos que llegan en empatados en la encuestas a las elecciones. Foto: Reuters

Temores de posibles irregularidades

Qué piensan los hondureños