A Louisiana judge has issued a temporary restraining order halting the clearing of homeless encampments in New Orleans, a move impacting plans ahead of Taylor Swift's concerts this weekend. The initiative to relocate around 75 individuals living in tents near the Superdome began as the city braces for an influx of 150,000 concert-goers. Judge Lori Jupiter's ruling compels law enforcement to respect residents' rights and refrain from property disposals without judicial oversight until November 4.
The ruling follows a lawsuit from those affected, asserting their belongings were unlawfully searched and seized due to the concert-driven sweep. The suit cites a legal observer who allegedly heard state troopers saying "the governor wants you to move because of the Taylor Swift concert." State officials had intended to move residents to a nearby location, which advocacy groups argue disrupts ongoing efforts to find permanent housing solutions for the unhoused.
Governor Jeff Landry's administration ties the relocations to addressing homelessness and safety issues ahead of major events, including February's Super Bowl. However, local advocates like Martha Kegel of Unity of Greater New Orleans express concerns, noting the operation's impact on individuals with mental health issues who may be wary of officials. "Some people were frightened and left, and that's not good," she said. "Because then all the work that we did to assess them and document their disabilities and, you know, work with them on their housing plan has now been wasted." (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)
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