LA Immigration Raids: Protests & Forceful Response
- Los Angeles saw increased immigration enforcement activity Saturday, following protests at a federal detention center.
- In Paramount, Calif., Border Patrol agents in riot gear and gas masks guarded an industrial park.
- Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the weekend's enforcement actions.
ICE Conducts Immigration Enforcement in Los Angeles Amid Protests
Los Angeles saw increased immigration enforcement activity Saturday, following protests at a federal detention center. The demonstrations followed a police response that included tear gas and flash-bangs. A union leader was also arrested.
In Paramount, Calif., Border Patrol agents in riot gear and gas masks guarded an industrial park. They deployed tear gas as protesters gathered, some recording the scene on their phones. A woman with a megaphone declared, “ICE out of Paramount. we see you for what you are.You are not welcome here.”
The street was closed to traffic as U.S. Customs and Border Protection patrolled the area. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the weekend’s enforcement actions.
The Los angeles immigration arrests occur as the Trump governance aims to fulfill promises of mass deportations.
On Friday,ICE officers arrested more than 40 people while executing search warrants at multiple locations. A tense scene unfolded outside a clothing warehouse as a crowd tried to block agents from leaving.
los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said the enforcement was meant to “sow terror” in the city.
ICE acting director Todd Lyons criticized Bass’s response to the protests. “Mayor Bass took the side of chaos and lawlessness over law enforcement,” Lyons said. “Make no mistake, ICE will continue to enforce our nation’s immigration laws and arrest criminal illegal aliens.”
Friday evening, protesters gathered outside a federal detention center in Los Angeles, chanting, “Set them free, let them stay!” Other protesters held signs reading “ICE out of LA!” Some also scrawled graffiti on the building.
Federal agents executed search warrants at three locations, including a Los Angeles fashion district warehouse. A judge found probable cause that the employer used fake documents for some workers, according to officials.
Immigrant rights advocates reported that immigration authorities detained people outside Home Depot stores and a doughnut shop on Friday.
What’s next
The situation remains tense in Los Angeles as community leaders and activists plan further actions to address immigration enforcement policies and support affected families.