By Dañiel Andres Martinez for LAist
Originally published on Jan. 17, 2026
Community volunteers say one of the first lesson they learned during ICE raids is to make as much noise as possible.
When they see people being detained by ICE, they use their voices, megaphones and, most effectively, whistles to signal danger.
One workshop being held in Downtown L.A. today will teach people how to use this tool.
Make some noise
Rain Skau is an organizer with the L.A. chapter of Democratic Socialists of America, he said the idea to hand out whistles came from community organizers in Chicago where they’ve been using them to alert neighborhoods of ICE presence.
Skau said his group had already been doing outreach to businesses across the city on how to better protect their workers from immigration raids, but they wanted to do more.
They plan to give out these kits in their future outreach.
The back and front of hotline cards included in the whistle kits.
The cards details what to do and who to call when a person has been detained or is being detained by ICE.
“This wasn’t something that we were doing previously. We want to make sure that people have whistles and they have the hotline information,” said Skau.
The whistles are 3D printed and come with a phone number to advocacy group Unión del Barrio’s community hotline to report ICE sightings and those who might have been detained.
Amplify
Skau says there are two specific whistle patterns — one to alert people if ICE is nearby. The other to signify when someone is being detained.
In that event whistle-blowers are also instructed to “form a crowd, stay loud, and stay nonviolent.”
But Skau said they’ve mostly been telling people to whistle as loud as possible, no matter the pattern, to raise awareness.
Jack Bohlka organizes Home Depot Patrols for DSA-LA, he said the whistles are tiny but mighty.
“It’s a whole lot better than trying to yell. It’s instantly recognizable, they’re very effective,” Bohlka said.
Spreading the sound
Some 300 people signed up for today’s workshop, more than Skau and Bohlka anticipated. They had to end RSVPs early to keep attendance manageable. But Skau says more workshops are in the works (check their Instagram for new events).
Participants today will assemble and take home whistle kits with instructions on how to use them, what to note if someone is being detained, and who to call during a raid.
DSA-LA said lately immigration enforcement agents have changed their tactics, targeting specific areas, striking quickly and leaving. It’s part of why Skau thinks getting whistle kits to as many people as possible is critical.
“So that if you just happen to be walking down the street,” Skau said. “And you see something happening right in front of you, you’re not just standing there shocked and aghast, and unsure of how to respond.”
This report is reprinted with permission from Southern California Public Radio. © 2026 Southern California Public Radio. All rights reserved.