Federal immigration authorities arrested 44 individuals across Los Angeles on Friday, sparking clashes outside multiple locations as protesters gathered to condemn the operation. Enforcement officers used flash bangs and other crowd control measures to disperse demonstrators who had gathered to voice their opposition to the arrests.
According to Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) spokesperson Yasmeen Pitts O'Keefe, ICE agents executed search warrants at three locations in the city. However, immigrant advocacy groups reported that arrests occurred at seven locations, including two Home Depot stores, a warehouse in the fashion district, and even a doughnut shop.
In the fashion district, agents served a search warrant at a business suspected of using fictitious documents to employ workers illegally, a claim confirmed by US Attorney’s Office spokesperson Ciaran McEvoy. The operation was part of a larger, nationwide push by federal immigration authorities to arrest undocumented workers and enforce immigration laws.
As news of the raids spread, protests erupted, with dozens of demonstrators gathering outside federal detention centers, demanding the release of those arrested. In one instance, video footage captured a chaotic scene outside a Home Depot parking lot, where federal agents escorted detainees to white vans, their hands tied behind their backs. Protesters shouted, "Set them free, let them stay!" as the situation escalated.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass condemned the raids, calling them a tactic to “sow terror” within immigrant communities. “As Mayor of a proud city of immigrants, who contribute to our city in so many ways, I am deeply angered by what has taken place,” she said. “These tactics sow terror in our communities and disrupt basic principles of safety in our city.”
Earlier this week, ICE Director Todd Lyons defended the raids, claiming that the agency is targeting "dangerous criminals" and that ICE is making an average of 1,600 arrests per day. “Our job is to remove individuals who are a threat to public safety,” Lyons said.
