Recent immigration raids have focused on at least five car washes in Los Angeles and Orange counties, according to the CLEAN Carwash Worker Center, a local labor advocacy nonprofit. The targeted businesses include Westchester Hand Wash, Culver City Express Hand Car Wash, Crenshaw Imperial Car, Wash Touch & Glow Car Wash in Whittier, and Magnolia Car Wash in Orange County.
Flor Melendrez, the executive director of CLEAN, confirmed that her organization verified these immigration raids through community reports and footage shared on social media. Agents from immigration enforcement, some operating in unmarked vehicles, detained a total of 26 individuals at these locations. The majority of those detained were workers, although it was reported that one customer was apprehended at Culver City Express Hand Car Wash during a Sunday raid.
“The agents are armed. They are grabbing people and putting them in vehicles, which is why we are calling them ‘kidnappings’ because they are not identifying themselves,” Melendrez stated, highlighting the alarming nature of the raids.
Local broadcaster FOX Los Angeles shared the story of Arturo Vasquez, who was detained by authorities after visiting the Culver City Car Wash to clean his vehicle. The incident was particularly traumatic as Vasquez was apprehended in front of his 7-year-old son, who can be seen distraught and crying in a video recorded during the incident.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has not responded to requests for comments regarding the recent immigration raids. It is important to note that car washes, which heavily employ immigrant workforces, often offer low-paying jobs and have been noted for violating wage laws.
In a recent interview, Air Force General Gregory Guillot, commander of the U.S. Northern Command, clarified that National Guard troops and Marines present in Los Angeles are there to defend property and do not possess arrest powers. “They are not law enforcement officers, and they do not have the authority to make arrests,” Guillot explained. He added that while they can only detain someone in very unique situations, such as to prevent potential harm, their primary role is not to interfere with law enforcement missions.
In response to the immigration sweeps, hundreds of individuals were arrested in downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday amid ongoing protests. The LAPD reported 203 arrests for failing to disperse, along with additional arrests linked to curfew violations and other offenses. Mayor Karen Bass announced a curfew starting at 8 p.m. for various neighborhoods, including Civic Center, Historic Core, Little Tokyo, and Chinatown.
This curfew followed four days of escalating protests that resulted in damage to local businesses and defacement of landmarks. The LAPD stated that officers employed “numerous” less-lethal munitions during the protests, leading to injuries among officers involved in crowd control efforts.
Mayor Bass indicated that the curfew would likely remain in place for several days, pending consultations with law enforcement and elected officials. She emphasized the necessity of the curfew to address the actions of “bad actors who do not support the immigrant community.” Meanwhile, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials have reported that hundreds of individuals have been taken into custody during the federal raids that commenced last week, although the exact number of arrests remains unclear. An immigrant rights leader in Los Angeles estimated that approximately 300 people have been detained by federal authorities in California.
