Judge halts cleanup of homeless camp in downtown New Orleans

Orleans Parish Civil District Court Judge Ethel Julien on Monday barred state police from displacing homeless people within the city, court spokesman Walt Pierce told WORLD. Julien issued the temporary restraining order from the bench. Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry earlier called for the city to break down a homeless encampment in downtown New Orleans and expected it to be finished before Thanksgiving. The state can offer any assistance to meet this important deadline, he wrote. Landry noted that besides the holiday, another reason to clear the camp was the Bayou Classic, an annual football game between Grambling State University Tigers and the Southern University Jaguars.

How long will the temporary order stay in place? The order stopping police intervention will stand until a court hearing about the order scheduled for Tuesday, Pierce confirmed. Legal counsel for the Louisiana State Police and Attorney General Liz Murrill’s office are reviewing the temporary order, state police spokeswoman Sgt. Katharine Stegall told WORLD. In the meantime, police were honoring the restraining order and communicating in detail with homeless groups, she added.

Homelessness has been a pervasive issue in New Orleans and the Thanksgiving deadline is not the first time Landry has attempted to clear homeless encampments. Judge Lori Jupiter issued a similar temporary restraining order last month stalling officials from clearing out homeless groups ahead of several high-profile Taylor Swift concerts. Her previous restraining order came in the case homeless man who sued alleging his rights were violated when authorities searched, seized, and destroyed his property during a cleanout.