"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."
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."
"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.
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.
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.
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.