A series of surprise operations conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in downtown Los Angeles on Friday ignited significant backlash from elected officials and protesters alike. Many labeled these enforcement actions as “cruel and unnecessary,” claiming they fueled fear within the immigrant community. Tensions escalated throughout the evening, leading the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) to declare an unlawful assembly and disperse around 200 protesters gathered outside the Los Angeles Federal Building by 7 p.m.
The unrest began around 1:30 p.m. when federal immigration agents detained employees at a clothing wholesaler in the heart of the Fashion District. The situation escalated as agents deployed flash-bang grenades and pepper spray to control the crowd protesting the raid. By 4 p.m., hundreds rallied outside the Los Angeles Federal Building, vehemently condemning the crackdown and demanding the release of David Huerta, the President of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) California, who was injured and detained while documenting the raid.
“Our community is under attack and has been terrorized,” stated Angelica Salas, executive director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), addressing the assembled crowd. “These are workers, these are fathers, these are mothers.”
According to Yasmeen Pitts O’Keefe, a spokesperson for Homeland Security Investigations, 44 individuals were administratively arrested during the immigration enforcement action, with one person apprehended for obstruction. The federal agents executed four search warrants related to the suspected harboring of undocumented individuals at three locations in central Los Angeles.
Carlos González Gutiérrez, the Consul General of Mexico in Los Angeles, revealed that his office identified at least 11 Mexican nationals detained during the raids across the region. His team is providing legal services to those affected, while also monitoring the conditions within the detention facilities. “The detention center seems to be at full capacity,” he noted, emphasizing the urgent situation.
CHIRLA received over 50 calls on its hotline reporting ICE sightings, with individuals in military garb spotted near schools, Home Depot locations, and even a doughnut shop, as highlighted by Salas. Connie Chung Joe, chief executive of Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California, mentioned reports of immigration enforcement activities near a school in Koreatown, further amplifying concerns within the community.
David Huerta, who was detained following the raid, expressed his feelings about the incident in a statement from a hospital where he received treatment. “What happened to me is not about me; this is about something much bigger,” Huerta stated. “We all collectively have to object to this madness because this is not justice.”
The arrest of Huerta drew widespread condemnation from local elected officials at various levels, who criticized the raids and the Trump administration's aggressive stance on deportations. L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn called for Huerta's immediate release, asserting that “this is a democracy,” and people should be allowed to peacefully protest and observe law enforcement activities.
However, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, appointed by former President Trump, countered the support for Huerta, stating, “There is not a First Amendment right to physically obstruct law enforcement officers from executing a duly issued warrant.”
For hours, advocates congregated outside Ambiance Apparel’s warehouse, offering legal advice to those detained inside. They stood on a truck parked in the street, urging the crowd to remain united. “You are not alone,” one protester shouted through a megaphone, drowning out the chaos of the crowd. Among those present was 18-year-old Katina Garcia, anxiously searching for her undocumented father who had gone to work that morning. “We never thought it would happen to us,” she remarked in disbelief.
As the situation intensified, a large contingent of federal agents in riot gear arrived at Ambiance Apparel, blaring sirens from their armored vehicles. Tensions flared as protesters shouted insults at the agents, and some threw objects in defiance. In order to disperse the crowd, federal agents resorted to using pepper spray and flash-bang grenades, leading to chaotic scenes as the vans filled with detainees departed.
In response to the events, the LAPD and the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department issued statements asserting that they had no role in the immigration enforcement actions. They reassured the community that they would respond to calls for help regardless of individuals’ immigration status. “We want our residents to know that when they call for help, we will protect everyone — regardless of a person’s legal status,” stated the Sheriff’s Department.
The escalation of immigration actions in Los Angeles coincides with broader efforts from the White House to ramp up deportations, as White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller reportedly pushes for a target of 3,000 arrests per day. Recently, ICE has been criticized for its aggressive tactics, including incidents involving flash-bang grenades during operations in San Diego and a raid on an underground nightclub in Los Angeles.
U.S. Senators Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla, along with California representatives Scott Peters and Juan Vargas, have demanded an investigation into the tactics employed during the San Diego raids, expressing concern over a troubling pattern of escalated immigration enforcement across the country. “These events raise serious questions about the appropriateness, proportionality, and execution of ICE tactics,” they stated.
