As Border Patrol agents descend on New Orleans as part of the “Catahoula Crunch” immigration crackdown , questions are resurfacing over when it is legal to film law enforcement officers.

Generally, it is legal to film law enforcement if they are in a public place within public view, said Scott Sternberg, a New Orleans-based First Amendment lawyer. Police also cannot stop you from filming, he said.

They can, however, order you to stay back for legitimate law enforcement purposes, Sternberg said.

“I would caution everybody to keep a safe distance from law enforcement activities,” he said. “If someone’s having a medical event in front of a gas station, they can tell you to stay back, or if there’s a big car accident they can tell you to stay back.”

A person’s right to watch law enforc

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