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Immigration raids have continued to rock Los Angeles, with the highest number of reported incidents on Jan. 28.
Masked agents detained dozens of people from Boyle Heights, East Los Angeles, Koreatown, Westlake, Historic South Central, Chinatown and other communities.
At least six vendors were detained in Boyle Heights and East Los Angeles on Jan. 28, the workers forced to leave behind their produce and other goods on the street. Other incidents included people pulled out of their homes and off the streets.
The spike in reports of immigration activity arrives after a tumultuous start to the year, with federal agents fatally shooting Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. Their killings, along with the immigration raids across the nation, have prompted a steady stream of protests and vigils, with some businesses joining a nationwide strike on Friday and students from across LA walking out on Wednesday.
Check back for updates.
10:28 a.m., Tuesday, Feb. 24
ICE and Border Patrol weapons spending exploded in 2025, says new report
Federal immigration enforcement agencies’ weapons spending exploded last year, according to a new report put out by U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff of California.
The report, issued Thursday, found that ICE spending commitments increased by 360% in the last year on guns, less lethal weapons, ammunition and related gear, compared to contracts from 2024.
“DHS has set in motion a massive surge in spending to add even more dangerous weapons to ICE and CBP’s arsenal,” said Schiff in a statement. His office reviewed government spending and procurement data.
“This misuse of taxpayer dollars to maximally arm federal immigration agents, including those with questionable vetting and insufficient training, must end,” the statement continued.
3:45 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 18
LAPD warns ‘legal consequences’ as school walkouts continue. ACLU attorney says it’s a ‘misuse of the criminal system’
At least six people have been arrested in connection with student walkouts this month protesting immigration raids, as local and federal authorities warn of potential legal consequences ahead of additional demonstrations.
Five people were arrested on suspicion of felony vandalism and one on suspicion of battery on a police officer during the week of Feb. 2, according to Los Angeles Police Det. Meghan Aguilar. For several days that week, thousands of LAUSD students walked out and marched to downtown LA to protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE. The LAPD didn’t respond to questions about whether those arrested were minors or adults.
12:24 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 17
As ICE raids continue, volunteers say grocery deliveries are still critically needed
Mara Harris loads a box of produce into her car, along with canned food and boxed goods. It marks the second week in a row she will drive the groceries to families across Los Angeles who say immigration raids are keeping them inside their homes.
“I got involved because I live in Highland Park, which is a primarily Latinx neighborhood, and I was feeling really frustrated and angry about our neighbors being unfairly treated,” Harris said.
Harris is a member of Nefesh, a Jewish outreach community that has partnered with local faith leaders to deliver goods. Her role is straightforward: pick up the groceries, drive them to families who have requested help, and drop them off.
“My husband is an immigrant,” she said. “I just think about the anxiety that we have going through the process, even with the resources we have access to, and I think about how impossible it is for other people to navigate that.”
11:57 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 17
New CA bill seeks to stop local police from helping ICE racially profile or detain observers
State Sen. Sasha Renée Pérez (D-Pasadena) announced Monday that she has introduced SB 1105, dubbed the Protect California Rights Act. The bill would ban local law enforcement from helping federal agents with operations based on racial profiling, efforts to stop First Amendment speech or actions involving unauthorized military weapons.
11:40 a.m. Friday, Feb. 13
Westlake among LA’s top 10 most vulnerable zip codes for immigration enforcement
Westlake is among the LA neighborhoods considered most vulnerable to federal immigration enforcement activity, according to a new report commissioned by the L.A. County Board of Supervisors.
The neighborhood is home to a large immigrant population and is predominantly made up of renters. The report found that nearly four in 10 residents were born in Latin America, more than half are Spanish speakers, and non-citizens make up nearly a quarter of the local workforce.
The report, by the county’s Department of Economic Opportunity and the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation, looks at where Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity has been concentrated and which communities face the greatest economic risk.
11:38 a.m. Friday, Feb. 13
LA students wanted to protest ICE, so a teacher let them out of school. Then he was fired
(Mariana Dale/LAist)
Last week, Synergy Quantum Academy students joined regional walkouts protesting the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. But with the South LA school’s tall metal gate shut, some opted to climb and jump over it.
The school’s leadership wrote in messages to parents and staff that an “unauthorized staff member” then opened that campus gate — in conflict with Los Angeles Unified School District protocol.
That staff member, teacher Ricardo Lopez, said he acted out of concern for the safety of students who might have hurt themselves trying to leave the school.
He said the school fired him the same day. Now his dismissal has spurred further protests and raised questions about whose responsibility it is to ensure safety as students exercise their First Amendment rights.
5:05 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 11
Boyle Heights is in LA’s top 10 most vulnerable ZIP codes for immigration enforcement
Boyle Heights is among the Los Angeles neighborhoods considered most vulnerable to immigration enforcement activity, according to a new report from Los Angeles County.
The analysis, compiled by the Los Angeles County Department of Economic Opportunity and the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation, identified neighborhoods with higher rates of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity and greater economic vulnerability. The 10 most vulnerable ZIP codes are primarily in working-class, immigrant neighborhoods, the report found.
The 90023 ZIP code in Boyle Heights is listed among the county’s most at-risk areas, along with Westlake, Maywood and Huntington Park, because of its higher concentration of foreign-born residents from Latin America, renter households, noncitizen workers and Spanish speakers, according to the report.
9:13 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 10
LA Mayor Bass issues order banning ICE from staging on city property
L.A. Mayor Karen Bass is directing staff to keep ICE off of city property and asking the Los Angeles Police Department to increase its monitoring of federal immigration agents.
The mayor issued the instructions in an executive directive Tuesday. She’s also directing the Los Angeles Police Commission to ensure the LAPD and other law enforcement agencies operating in the city are complying with new state laws attempting to reign in federal immigration enforcement.
6:11 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 10
Judge temporarily blocks California’s ‘No Secret Police’ ban on masked federal immigration agents
A federal judge on Monday temporarily blocked California from enforcing a new law that would have banned federal immigration agents from wearing masks during immigration sweeps.
U.S. District Judge Christina Snyder ruled that the state could not enforce the facial-covering provision of SB 627, the No Secret Police Act, while a legal challenge brought by the federal government moved forward. That lawsuit argued that SB 627 conflicted with federal authority and would improperly limit how federal agents could do their jobs.
One of the law’s authors, Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, announced Monday afternoon that he would be introducing new legislation aimed at revising the original law to apply to state officers it previously exempted. He characterized the ruling as a win and vowed to continue efforts to unmask federal agents.
“Now that the Court has made clear that state officers must be included, I am immediately introducing new legislation to include state officers,” Wiener said in a prepared statement, adding: “We will unmask these thugs and hold them accountable. Full stop.”
4:52 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 10
LA County identifies the ZIP codes hit hardest by ICE. Here’s where they are
A new report from LA County offers a closer look at the economic damage to the region caused by federal immigration enforcement — and at the neighborhoods most affected.
The analysis, compiled by the Los Angeles County Department of Economic Opportunity and Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation, identified the neighborhoods hardest hit by ICE, and found that they were more economically precarious.
11 a.m. Monday, Feb. 9
Can LA actually stop ICE? Critics say city leaders are falling short
For drumming in protest in front of the downtown Metropolitan Detention Center, Mario Zermeno and his fellow organizers in ICE Out of LA say they have been harassed, threatened and arrested by immigration agents and the LAPD. They say they were also threatened with having their names placed in a federal database.
But Zermeno still feels compelled to show up.
“Yes, I get worried,” he told The LA Local.
He was standing at an anti-ICE protest in La Plaza de Los Ángeles on Jan. 24. It was the same day Alex Pretti, a man who was filming immigration agents in Minneapolis, was killed by Border Patrol agent Jesus Ochoa and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer Raymundo Gutierrez.
“I get worried seeing someone killed,” Zermeno said. “But what’s our other choice? Not protesting? Not defending the Constitution? Not protesting for our rights? Then what do we become at that point? You know, locked up in our homes ordering everything off Amazon?”
Zermeno’s fears echo broader concerns among activists and legal observers, who say a data privacy loophole — local police and city technology, like license plate readers and mobile data, feeding information to federal immigration agents without warrants — fuels fear and undermines efforts to hold enforcement accountable.
His frustration points to a question many residents of Los Angeles County are asking as federal immigration enforcement intensifies: Do city and county leaders actually have the power to protect its residents — or are their hands tied?
10:55 a.m. Monday, Feb. 9
“GTFO!” California lawmakers introduce bill to bar ICE agents from public service jobs
“Get the feds out!” state Assemblymember Mark Gonzalez of District 54 shouted from the steps of the Japanese American National Museum on Friday as he announced a bill that would bar people with a history of working in federal immigration enforcement from holding public service jobs in California.
Gonzalez cited reports that thousands of immigration detentions have been overturned by courts as unlawful. He said federal agents carry out enforcement in ways he described as dangerous and argued their tactics are likely unconstitutional.
“For months, our communities have been under assault,” he said. “They have taken people off our streets while masked, unidentified, refusing to say who they are or who they answer to. Those agents are clearly breaking the law.”
12:24 p.m. Friday, Feb. 6
Inglewood activists asked leaders for months to acknowledge immigration raids. Now, the city’s responding.
Inglewood city leaders spoke out about federal immigration raids during a City Council meeting on Tuesday after activists accused them of being relatively silent on the issue for months.
“There are people that are afraid to send their children to school, fearful that government agents will come and knock on their doors,” Mayor James Butts said during Tuesday’s meeting. “The worst thing that can happen is for us to be divided, because that’s exactly one of the outcomes of these types of behaviors from the government.”
The comments come after community patrols logged reports of federal agents detaining at least nine people in the city on Jan. 13. Previously, the mayor told The LA Local he had no position on the operations, and other members of the council did not respond to interview requests.
12:44 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 4
Photos: Los Angeles students walk out to protest ICE raids
Hundreds of high school students from across Los Angeles walked out of school on Wednesday and marched to City Hall, carrying signs and flags in support of immigrant rights.
12:04 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 4
From Boyle Heights to Koreatown, LAUSD students walk out to protest ICE raids
Students at multiple Los Angeles Unified School District schools walked out on Wednesday to denounce federal immigration raids that continue to separate families and traumatize neighborhoods across LA.
In Boyle Heights, Roosevelt and Mendez high school students walked out and marched toward LA City Hall.
In Koreatown, hundreds of students at Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools walked out of school and joined others downtown.
Social media posts show students are also walking out from Francisco Bravo Medical Magnet, James A. Garfield, Woodrow Wilson, Lincoln, and other campuses across LA.
7:48 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 1
Bad Bunny, Billie Eilish and more speak out against ICE at Grammy Awards
Artists used their platform at the Grammy Awards on Sunday night to speak out against ICE and in support of immigrants.
Some — including Justin Bieber, Kehlani and Carole King — wore pins saying, “ICE Out.” Others used their time on stage at Crypto.com Arena or speaking to media to make their position clear.
“ICE out,” said Bad Bunny to a standing ovation as he accepted the award for Best Música Urbana Album. “We’re not savage. We’re not animals. We’re not aliens. We are humans. And we are Americans.”
Billie Eilish accepted her award for Song of the Year to say, “No one is illegal on stolen land.”
“I feel like we just need to keep fighting and speaking up and protesting, and our voices really do matter, and the people matter,” she said. And fuck ICE is all I want to say. “
—Claudia Koerner
Saturday, Jan. 31
Thousands protest at LA City Hall for a second day
For a second day in a row, people gathered at Los Angeles City Hall to protest ICE and show solidarity with immigrant communities.
The rally brought together families, students, and longtime community organizers calling for an end to immigration enforcement practices they say tear families apart and instill fear in immigrant neighborhoods.
“I think it’s important to be here and stand up for everyone who can’t be here today, and to show that we’re educated and can protest peacefully” said Cynthia Basulto, a demonstrator at LA City Hall. “It’s empowering to see everyone here today, it shows that there’s strength in numbers.”
—Marina Peña
7:43 p.m. Friday, Jan. 30
Federal agents use pepper spray in standoff with some protesters: L.A. Taco
A group of protesters and federal agents engaged in a standoff outside the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown LA, with agents using pepper spray and pepper balls against people, L.A. Taco’s Lexis-Olivier Ray reported.
Ray’s videos from the scene showed people throwing trash toward officers wearing riot gear and carrying shields. People pushed a dumpster into a driveway leading to the detention center, and agents struggled to close a metal gate because it was blocked with the trash.
The LAPD said it issued a dispersal order at 1st and Alameda around 6:50 p.m., though some protesters continued to march in the downtown area. According to the LAPD, multiple people were arrested, including someone who allegedly used a slingshot to fling metal objects at officers.
—Claudia Koerner
5:58 p.m. Friday, Jan. 30
These businesses remained open to support their communities, staff amid the nationwide strike
Elizabeth Mateo-Richmond, co-owner of Mateo’s, a Oaxacan-style paletería in Pico Union with other locations throughout LA, wanted to encourage customers to shop locally and support minority-owned businesses, while still standing in solidarity with immigrant communities.
They were one of many restaurants that remained open on Friday, like Stagger Coffee, an immigrant-owned cafe in Koreatown.
“We wanted to support this movement, but at the same time, we didn’t want our team members to not get paid,” said shop co-owner Jae Son. “We wanted them to get compensated as well. We were thinking what would be the best way to support and concluded that this would be the best way to support both.”
4:27 p.m. Friday, Jan. 30
Protesters march from downtown LA to Boyle Heights
Protesters marched into Boyle Heights from downtown LA, making a loop to return back to City Hall.
They waved U.S., Mexico and Central American flags and carried signs that read “No ICE, No Nazis.”
Norteño music blasted from speakers, drums blared on beat, and kids rode on skateboards.
“ICE out of LA! ICE out of everywhere!” people chanted.
A fruit vendor who declined to share his name due to immigration concerns quickly peeled mangoes and doused Valentina hot sauce on Mexican snacks.
He’d been staying indoors this week after his Boyle Heights neighborhood saw the most federal immigration activity in a single day since the raids began last summer.
But on Friday, risking it was worth it.
“I’m out here because there are a lot of people. I can sell in an hour what I make in a day,” he said in Spanish. “Nos preocupamos pero tenemos que trabajar. Hay que pagar renta, biles, y eso no espera.” We worry, but we have to work. We need to pay rent, bills, and that doesn’t wait.
—Jessica Perez
3:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 30
Don Lemon released after first court appearance
Don Lemon was released from federal custody following his initial appearance in court in downtown Los Angeles on Friday.
Lemon addressed reporters outside the courthouse and described being arrested by a team of federal agents overnight.
“I have spent my entire career covering the news,” he said. “I will not stop now.”
A federal indictment was unsealed earlier Friday, accusing Lemon of conspiring with anti-ICE protesters who disrupted a church service in St. Paul, Minnesota, earlier this month. Lemon livestreamed the group as they prepared for the protest, then entered the church with them — describing the scene, the impact on the congregation and attempting to interview the pastor as well.
On Friday, Lemon said he was engaging in journalism and was protected under the First Amendment.
“I will not be silenced,” he said. “I look forward to my day in court.”
The case will now move to federal court in Minnesota.
—Claudia Koerner
2:57 p.m. Friday, Jan. 30
South Pasadena high school students walk out
Students from South Pasadena High School walked out of school on Friday and rallied on Mission Street and Fair Oaks Avenue.
Students cheered, “No ICE, no peace, get ICE off our streets” as cars honked horns.
—Erica Sanchez-Barrera, Boyle Heights Beat youth reporter and junior, South Pasadena High School
2:17 p.m. Friday, Jan. 30
At least 1,000 people protest in downtown LA: LAist
By 2 p.m., the crowd of protesters at City Hall had grown to at least 1,000, LAist reported.
Matt Carlin, 48, of Los Angeles said he decided to participate in the protests because he believes “a line has been crossed” by federal authorities, who he accused of acting as secret police. He said the deaths in Minnesota were “disgusting” and “upsetting,” but were the logical progression of an administration that wants to rule by fear.
“It’s unacceptable and it’s time for people to stand up,” he told LAist. “And I think doing it on a weekday sends a stronger message, and not shopping and not getting on Facebook and Instagram.”
2:05 p.m. Friday, Jan. 30
‘I just want safety for everybody’: Pico Union parent pulls children out of school over ICE raids
Diana Mojarro, a Pico Union native and mother of a West Adams Preparatory High School junior, said she pulled her son out of school today to protest the ongoing immigration raids and stand in solidarity with immigrant communities across the country.
“I was born here, but my parents are immigrants. They fought for our right to have what we have now, but it feels like it’s been taken away from us and in such a brutal way so I want my family to be in solidarity,” she said.
“I feel that more people, more of the Latino community should come together and do what we can. Small actions really go a long way.”
Mojarro, 31, has another child in the sixth grade, who didn’t attend school today.
She said the immigration raids across Los Angeles have left her in constant fear for her family and neighbors.
“I hope nobody goes inside the school. I hope my sister comes back home safe. I hope my neighbor comes home safe,” Mojarro said. “I hope that the person who cuts the lawn comes home safe. I just want safety for everybody. And it’s times of uncertainty that really does stress everybody out to the point where we don’t know what’s going to happen, if we are going to come home, or who’s going to get killed today, or who tomorrow? We don’t know what’s going to happen, it’s very tough.”
—Marina Peña
1:55 p.m. Friday, Jan. 30
Lincoln Heights school holds ‘student-structured’ walkout on campus
Los Angeles Leadership Academy in Lincoln Heights participated in what school administrators described as a “student-structured nationwide walkout” on Friday.
“Students decided on their own that they wanted to do a walkout, so as a school, we just wanted to provide them that safe and secure space to do it,” said school principal Cindy Sanchez.
“It’s important for students because they are our future generations that are going to make a change in the world and, given the climate in our community, they are directly affected by it.”
—Genesis Peña, Boyle Heights Beat youth reporter and senior at MSTMA at Roosevelt High School
1:40 p.m. Friday, Jan. 30
Masked agents take man outside Slauson Super Mall
Masked agents detained a man outside the Slauson Super Mall Friday morning, according to social media posts and witness accounts.
A video shared on Instagram shows masked men in tactical gear forcing a man in a red shirt flat on the sidewalk near the intersection of Slauson and Denker avenues.
“Let him go, man, c’mon,” someone shouts off camera in the video.
Mauricio Guzman was standing outside the mall and said he saw the masked men take the unidentified man.
“They were yelling,” he said.
The video shows the masked agents pull the handcuffed man off the ground and march him down the street to a white pick-up truck. Miguel Morales, a food vendor with a stall near where the incident happened, did not see what happened, but saw video surface on social media. Morales recognized the man who was taken, he said, and said he was a friend and regular customer at his stall.
—Isaiah Murtaugh
1:28 p.m. Friday, Jan. 30
Hair braiding against ICE in Boyle Heights
A line formed on 4th Street in Boyle Heights as dozens waited to get their hair braided with red, white and pink ribbons, as a form of protest against immigration raids while celebrating Indigenous Mexican culture.
More than a hundred people secured a ticket for the “Los Angeles Hair Braiding Against ICE” event on Friday afternoon, which was held in partnership between “Ponte Your Moños” and Cafe Niña. Ema Ramos, 22 from South Central, said she went to get her hair braided to make a political statement.
“We need to [make it] known that we’re not scared,” Ramos said. “We’re just here to show pride. We’re not leaving.”
“Being young, you get your hair braided all the time. It’s nice to fulfill your inner child and being unapologetic in who you are,” Ramos added.
— Alejandra Molina
12:34 p.m. Friday, Jan. 30
“ICE Out” protesters gather at LA City Hall
By 12:30 p.m. on Friday — half an hour before it was officially scheduled to begin — a crowd had already gathered at LA City Hall to protest immigration raids locally and to stand in solidarity with Minnesota.
Some people waved flags from the U.S., Mexico, El Salvador and Guatemala. It was one of many “ICE Out” protests planned around the LA area and the country following the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis by federal agents.
—Claudia Koerner
11:45 a.m. Friday, Jan. 30
Open for business, but still supporting immigrants
In Koreatown, Concerto Bakery and Cafe opened its doors on Friday “in solidarity with today’s strikers.” The business said on Instagram it would donate 50% of the day’s profits to Freedom for Immigrants and the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA).
The cafe, located inside City Center on Sixth Street, was busy Friday morning, with customers lining up for pastries and coffee and sitting down to talk. Bok-ja Lee, 65, who was on her way to the bakery with a group of friends, said she wasn’t aware the business planned to donate its profits, but appreciated having a place to gather during what she described as a difficult time for many in the neighborhood.
“I’ve been saddened to hear about the raids,” Lee said. “I believe violent criminals shouldn’t be here, but I keep seeing news about regular people being taken away. I don’t think that’s right.”
Lee said her group of senior friends — most of whom are U.S. citizens — have recently started discussing Know Your Rights information in their group chats and what to do if they are stopped or questioned.
“We never talked about this before,” she said.
—Hanna Kang
11:38 a.m. Friday, Jan. 30
They chased federal agents, blew whistles and filmed on phones. How Boyle Heights took action amid a cluster of raids
They ran and drove after vehicles with men inside, believed to be federal agents. They pulled out their phones to record. They blew whistles, honked car horns and shouted, “Migra, Migra, Migra!” alerting their neighbors that agents were nearby.
This is how residents showed up for each other on Wednesday as Boyle Heights experienced the most federal immigration activity in a single day since the raids began last summer. Flower vendors and a frutero were among the six taken in a cluster of raids in Boyle Heights and East Los Angeles.
“ICE was all over. We weren’t able to stop the kidnappings from happening, but [we saw] the community be aware and come out,” said Joe Diaz, a longtime Boyle Heights resident.
On Wednesday, Diaz witnessed how neighbors headed out to the streets to keep watch for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. He roamed Cesar Chavez Avenue to warn street vendors of nearby agents, only to learn others had already stopped by to inform them. At Ramona Gardens, where agents took 28-year-old Edgar Leonel Sincu, Diaz found members of Legacy LA and the staff of Councilmember Ysabel Jurado and Assemblymember Mark González.
And, when administrators at First Street Elementary School called for backup after two people were detained nearby, rapid response teams with the social justice group Centro CSO and the Boyle Heights Immigrant Rights Network showed up to help guard the gates during dismissal.
“The word was getting out,” Diaz said.
10:33 a.m. Friday, Jan. 30
Inside a Boyle Heights coffee shop that shut down — yet still is serving its community
In Boyle Heights, Picaresca Barra de Café opened its doors not for its normal business hours but to give the community a space to come together, enjoy free coffee and pastries and make posters.
Eztli De Jesus, 19, made a poster in red marker with the phrase, “Chinga La Migra.” She said she hopes to participate in a rally later today.
“For me it’s very important to surround myself with people that I know care about me, who I want to care for and that uplift me during such hard times,” she said.
Eastside artist Ernesto Yerena was also screen printing posters with an image of La Virgen de Guadalupe surrounded by a collage of ice agents and top immigration officials and a message that read, “¡Líbranos De Todo Mal!” Deliver us from all evil.
—Laura Anaya-Morga
10:14 a.m. Friday, Jan. 30
State lawmaker calls out arrest of Don Lemon
California Assembly member Mark González, whose district stretches through Koreatown, downtown LA and Boyle Heights, described the arrest of Don Lemon as a “disgraceful” attack on First Amendment rights.
“Our democracy is fracturing under the unconstitutional actions of Trump,” he said in a statement. “ICE has crossed a dangerous line by targeting Don Lemon in an effort to silence the truth and undermine the integrity of a free press.”
—Claudia Koerner
9:51 a.m. Friday, Jan. 30
LAUSD superintendent asks kids to stay in school as walkouts expected
The Los Angeles Unified School District superintendent urged parents to tell students to stay in school on Friday. Walkouts are expected at high schools around LA as part of the national strike.
“Los Angeles Unified supports the rights of our students to advocate for causes important to them; however, we are concerned for their safety at off-campus demonstrations,” Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho said in an email to parents. “The safest place for students is at school.”
Carvalho suggested students could take part in demonstrations on campus during lunch instead.
—Claudia Koerner
9:47 a.m. Friday, Jan. 30
Mayor Karen Bass denounces arrest of Don Lemon
Mayor Karen Bass described the arrest of journalist Don Lemon as an “escalation” by President Donald Trump.
“First, Trump’s agents shoot and kill people exercising their First Amendment rights, and now we’re arresting journalists going into a church,” she said in a statement. “It’s an egregious assault on constitutionally protected First Amendment rights.”
Bass said she has reached out to federal prosecutors about Lemon’s arrest, which took place overnight in Los Angeles.
—Claudia Koerner
8:17 a.m. Friday, Jan. 30
They’re closing to protest ICE — even though it’s a financial hit
Businesses across Los Angeles are shutting their doors on Friday for a national day of action against Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a coordinated effort to stand in solidarity with people saying no to work, school and shopping around the U.S.
The “ICE Out” general strike and protests were organized in Minnesota after weeks of aggressive tactics by federal agents and the killings of two people. Immigration enforcement has also surged in LA this week, and flyers announcing a local day of action on Friday have blanketed many neighborhoods, as well as spreading online. A protest was also planned for Friday afternoon at LA City Hall.
In Boyle Heights, restaurants, coffee shops and retail stores began posting signs on their windows that read “TODOS CON MINNESOTA! FUERA ICE! No trabajo y no escuela.” Many, including Accúrrcame Cafe and Xtiosu, also shared messages on social media.
8:03 a.m. Friday, Jan. 30
Don Lemon arrested in Los Angeles
Former CNN anchor Don Lemon was arrested by federal agents in Los Angeles, his lawyer said Friday.
Lemon was in LA to cover the Grammy Awards, which take place on Sunday. He is scheduled to appear in federal court.
Independent journalist Georgia Fort, Trahern Jeen Crews and Jamael Lydell Lundy were also taken into custody in connection with the anti-ICE protest earlier this month at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, according to Attorney General Pam Bondi. Lemon had been covering the protest at the church, though federal authorities described it as a coordinated attack.
“The First Amendment exists to protect journalists whose role it is to shine light on the truth and hold those in power accountable,” attorney Abbe Lowell said in a statement. “There is no more important time for people like Don to be doing this work.”
8:02 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 29
What we know about the people taken during Wednesday’s ICE raids on the Eastside
Flower buckets and personal belongings abandoned on a street corner. A fruit vendor’s yellow truck left behind. Videos of federal agents dragging a man from a Boyle Heights driveway, chasing someone in a parking lot and pinning down another during an arrest. These images spread across Boyle Heights on Wednesday in what became one of the heaviest days of immigration enforcement in the neighborhood since the raids began in June 2025.
Read more for what we know about the people who were detained.
1:12 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 29
Boyle Heights reels after most immigration enforcement activity since raids began
10:33 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 29
Residents sound off on ICE + LAPD
“What about the collaboration? What about the information sharing?” one commenter asked.
After the killings of Renée Good and Alex Pretti by federal immigration officers in Minneapolis and Keith Porter Jr. by an off‑duty ICE officer in Northridge, people at the Jan. 27 Police Commission meeting called out LAPD over alleged collaboration with ICE.
Commenters voiced concern over data sharing, crowd control at raids and protests, and LAPD’s role in federal immigration enforcement.
🎥 Video by LA Documenter Martin Romero. LA Documenters trains and pays community members to put local government on the record for neighbors who can’t attend.
10:11 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 29
You have the right to film ICE detentions. Here’s how to do it effectively
With federal agents conducting more immigration-related arrests throughout Southern California, residents have been active, too, capturing on camera those detentions in their communities — by real agents and potential impersonators.
Peter Eliasberg, chief counsel for First Amendment rights at the ACLU of Southern California, said community members have a constitutional right to record government officials engaging in public duties: “Doesn’t matter if it’s LAPD, the L.A. Sheriff’s Department, ICE or Border Patrol.”
8:52 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 29
L.A. Taco breaks down escalation of immigration enforcement across SoCal
After averaging about 30 daily reports of Border Patrol and ICE activity for weeks, the LA area saw nearly 50 immigration enforcement incidents on Wednesday, L.A. Taco’s Memo Torres reported.
Watch the Daily Memo here:
5:26 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 28
Boyle Heights’ Picaresca joins national general strike
As activists shared flyers announcing a national day of action on Friday, Boyle Heights coffee shop Picaresca announced it would close in solidarity.
The shop said it would be closed for business but open as a community space from 8:30-10:30 a.m.
“Instead of operating as usual, we’ll open the space as a community meeting point—a place for people to gather, make posters, connect, and support one another,” the business wrote in an Instagram post. “We’ll be providing materials where we can, along with free drip coffee, and holding the space intentionally and respectfully.”
Businesses around LA are expected to close on Friday, with activists promoting a general strike of work and school.
—Claudia Koerner
3:39 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 28
‘This is cruelty by design’ : State lawmaker responds to immigration raids in Boyle Heights
Assemblymember Mark González called out Wednesday’s immigration raids after masked agents took a person who was selling fruit from a truck in Boyle Heights.
“Vendors were simply working, selling flowers, feeding families, surviving. And for that, they were hunted down and detained. Let’s be clear: working is not a crime,” González said in a statement.
“The only thing ‘illegal’ here is a federal government terrorizing communities, ripping people off sidewalks and job sites, and calling it enforcement. This is cruelty by design. This is intimidation. And Boyle Heights sees it for exactly what it is: BULLSH*T!”
—Nathan Solis
3:35 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 28
Organizers cancel events in Boyle Heights, El Sereno in response to immigration raids
First Street School sent out a phone blast after a flower vendor was taken near 2nd and Mott streets this morning. Astronomy Night, which was supposed to happen at the school this afternoon, was canceled due to the enforcement operations happening outside the school.
About 10 parents picked up their children before the school day was over due to the enforcement operations.
Organizers with the El Sereno Night Market also canceled their Wednesday night event in response to the ongoing immigration raids.
-Alejandra Molina
11:31 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 28
Another vendor taken in Boyle Heights, 1 detained in Ramona Gardens
A series of federal immigration operations continued in Boyle Heights and East LA on Wednesday morning.
A vendor who sells fruit from a truck was taken near Michigan and Evergreen avenues, the Boyle Heights Immigrant Rights Network (BHIRN) confirmed. A photo on social media shows a yellow truck left in the middle of the street.
In the Ramona Gardens housing development, at least one person was detained around 10:20 a.m., the BHIRN confirmed. Video on social media shows five masked agents detaining the man on the ground before loading him into a gray van with no license plates.
Federal agents were also spotted on Olympic and Atlantic boulevards in East LA a few minutes around 9:59 a.m., according to a report on StopICE.net, which tracks federal enforcement operations.
Earlier, a flower vendor was detained near 2nd and Mott streets.
11:25 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 28
LA gears up for ICE OUT! National Day of Action on Friday
Activists are organizing a nationwide shutdown on Friday in solidarity with the ongoing federal immigration raids and the killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis. Friday’s action marks the second general strike, with people expected to call out of work, school and not buy anything.
There is a scheduled 1 p.m. protest at LA City Hall on Friday with multiple groups set to participate, including Black Lives Matter LA, UAW Local 4811, TransLatin@ Coalition, UAW Local 872, 50501 SoCal, Palestinian Youth Movement, Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), MidCity Mercado, Democratic Socialists- Los Angeles, VCDefensa and many more.
—Nathan Solis
10:42 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 28
Flower vendor taken by federal agents in Boyle Heights
A man selling flowers in Boyle Heights was taken by federal agents during an immigration operation Wednesday morning, according to rapid response teams.
The operation took place near 2nd and Mott streets around 9:45 a.m., according to Verita Topete of the social justice group Centro CSO.
11:43 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 27
‘They’re willing to risk their own lives’: What an East LA immigrant pastor saw in Minneapolis
East Los Angeles pastor Carlos Rincon stood outside a Minneapolis church on Friday, in below-zero temperatures, livestreaming what he was witnessing on the ground in the face of violence by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the region.
In a matter of weeks, he said, “an army of people” at Dios Habla Hoy Church in Minneapolis managed to distribute food packages to thousands of families — including green card holders and U.S. citizens — who were too afraid to leave their homes for food and worship.
“The persecution in Minneapolis is terrible, more cruel than what’s happened in Los Angeles,” the pastor said in his video. Federal agents “are going against anyone,” Rincon, who pastors the Assemblies of God church Centro de Vida Victoriosa in East LA, told Boyle Heights Beat.
Rincon, who has attended vigils and protests against immigration raids in LA, was in Minneapolis for three days. He witnessed clergy getting arrested at the Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport in an anti-ICE protest. He marched with tens of thousands of Minnesotans amid the state’s general strike against ICE.
6:20 p.m. Monday, Jan. 26
Masked agents violently tackle men in Koreatown, Westlake while patrolling around neighborhoods
Masked agents violently slammed a man into a trash can around 1 p.m. before he was pulled off the street in Westlake on Sunday, according to witnesses and videos posted to social media. The unidentified man was pulled into a nearby vehicle on 3rd Street between Loma Drive and Columbia Avenue.
Residents in the area say they don’t know the man, but they overheard him tell the agents he was on his way to take his family food.
In Koreatown, masked agents tackled two men to the ground near the intersection of South Berendo and 8th streets, according to the Koreatown Rapid Response Network. Video posted to social media showed the masked agents in tactical gear push one man’s head into the pavement, and in a separate video, a group of masked men struggled to subdue another man who was lying on the ground. It’s unclear why the men were detained.
Residents said masked agents returned to the neighborhood Monday around noon. At least one other person was taken from near the intersection of Vermont Avenue and 8th Street, less than a block away from Sunday’s incident, according to street vendors in the neighborhood.
Rumors of the ICE agents in the neighborhood spread Monday morning, as residents reported dark-colored vehicles near MacArthur Park, Pico and Vermont, and the El Salvador Corridor.
On Vermont Avenue and 12th Street, rapid response volunteers spoke to the street vendors about the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement sightings in the neighborhood. Some taqueros left, while others decided to stay along the corridor.
“No tengo miedo. Me siento más protegida con los otros vendedores/I’m not scared. Being here with the other vendors makes me feel more protected,” said a woman who sells shrimp and other seafood. She declined to give her name out of fear for her privacy.
—Marina Peña
5:10 p.m. Monday, Jan. 26
Man’s infected finger burst after Adelanto staff waited months to give him antibiotics: Lawsuit
A man suffering a seizure went without oxygen as guards watched him convulse on the floor, and another was not given antibiotics for a severe staph infection that led his finger to burst — allegations that civil rights attorneys and immigration advocates say reveal just how inhumane and unconstitutional conditions have become for people at the Adelanto detention center in San Bernardino County.
These experiences were included in a federal lawsuit filed Monday by Public Counsel and the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on behalf of four people currently detained at Adelanto. The suit is seeking class action status for detainees at Adelanto and challenges what attorneys described as a system that prioritizes profit over human life.
“What is happening at Adelanto detention center is a violation of the most fundamental rights we hold dear as a society,” said Gina Amato Lough, a senior attorney at Public Counsel. “Behind the walls of Adelanto, our neighbors, community members and loved ones are being subjected to conditions that assault human dignity.”
2:50 p.m. Monday, Jan. 26
11:34 a.m. Monday, Jan. 26
Angelenos protest ICE violence after deadly weekend
Several hundred protestors, immigrant rights groups and religious leaders rallied outside the Federal Building in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday to denounce the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by a Border Patrol agent in Minneapolis several hours earlier.
Federal immigration agents detained several people across Los Angeles on Saturday, including a flower vendor in Echo Park, and multiple people in Koreatown and Westlake, according to rapid response organizers.
See misconduct by federal agents? Report it to California officials
The state of California has launched an online portal for residents to report misconduct by federal agents.
Residents can upload photos or videos to the portal, which is overseen by California Attorney General Rob Bonta. The materials may be used by the state as it continues to pursue legal actions against the Trump administration.
In a press release announcing the portal, state officials urged Californians to still call 911 if they believed they were witnessing a crime in progress. They also reminded residents that it is illegal to obstruct a federal arrest and warned residents to stay safe.
“Keep a safe distance and be mindful that you may encounter federal agents who are angry, inexperienced, improperly vetted, and untrained on how to do their job safely, including interacting with demonstrators or large crowds,” the press release said.
—Claudia Koerner
9:55 a.m. Monday, Jan. 26
ICE raids continue as protests break out in response to another killing in Minneapolis
Immigration agents took an unconfirmed number of people across Los Angeles over the weekend, including a flower vendor and taquero in Echo Park, according to social media reports.
The immigration raids on Saturday arrived several hours after immigration agents killed 37-year-old Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. U.S. Border Patrol agents shot Pretti, an intensive care nurse for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, multiple times while he appeared to be lying on the ground during a struggle with several masked agents, according to multiple news reports.
Multiple protests had already been planned over the weekend in Los Angeles in response to the fatal shooting of Good. She was also shot by masked agents while they were conducting immigration enforcement on Jan. 7.
On Sunday, in memory of both Good and Pretti, hundreds of protesters gathered outside a federal building with signs, masks and upside-down American flags.
Earlier in the day, masked agents were seen in Westlake pulling a man into a vehicle, and by Monday morning, there were additional sightings of immigration enforcement activity near Pico Boulevard and Vermont Avenue, according to social media reports.
—Nathan Solis
4:05 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 21
Activists want Inglewood to protect families against ICE. The mayor says he won’t take a position.
When reports of federal immigration raids last spring rose across the greater Los Angeles area, Inglewood immigration organizers turned to the city council.
Yaritza Gonzalez, co-founder of the ING Fellowship, said activists asked city leaders to put in place a sanctuary policy and a fund for food, housing and legal assistance for people impacted by the raids. Though council members acknowledged activists’ comments in public meetings in August, Gonzalez said the city has yet to take action.
Local governments across California have taken a range of approaches to the Trump administration’s sweeping immigration enforcement operations.
Some, like the city of Los Angeles, have leaned on sanctuary policies that bar agencies and city resources from being used to assist federal immigration agents. Others, like the county of Los Angeles, have formed aid funds. The city of Huntington Beach pushed in the opposite direction, unsuccessfully attempting to overturn California’s sanctuary law in federal court.
Inglewood’s approach has largely been business as usual.
“We’re studying the issue, but the reality is, these are federal operations,” Mayor James Butts told The LA Local. “The city has no input, knowledge, impact.”
11:38 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 21
As ICE raids sweep the Eastside, rapid response teams say they need more support
A car wash worker who’s lived in the country for nearly 20 years. An LAUSD parent who supports his family with a carnitas stand. A man detained near Hollenbeck Park.
In just over a week, multiple people like them have been taken into custody during immigration enforcement operations across the Eastside, rattling neighborhoods already on high alert.
The recent surge has pushed residents and organizers into action. Demonstrations have been held calling for “ICE out of East LA.” Volunteer groups have added foot patrols to hand out “Know Your Rights” materials and connect impacted families with resources. But organizers say the nearly daily enforcement activity has left many exhausted and in need of more support to keep up.
“Everyone is probably facing some level of burnout,” said Raquel Roman, executive director of Proyecto Pastoral, a community-building and social justice nonprofit that spearheaded the Boyle Heights Immigrant Rights Network (BHIRN). “It’s been like a week and a half, two weeks, of (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity) almost every day.”
11:39 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 21
SoCal day laborers increasingly targeted By scams, wage theft and deportation threats: L.A. Taco
It is early in the morning when José, a day laborer who prefers not to reveal his full name for security reasons, waits outside a Home Depot store in Orange County to be hired.
While sharing coffee and bread with an advocacy group patrolling the store’s parking lot, he tells us that in recent months, it has not been easy to go out and look for work.
José reports that in the last two weeks, attempts to conduct raids at Home Depot, where he usually asks for work, have increased.
“The raids have affected us a lot; we are afraid to come here and expose ourselves, just hoping that someone will hire us to work; they have already taken several people,” said José in Spanish. “And then it’s not just about always being on alert, but sometimes, if they hire us, they threaten us with ICE so they don’t have to pay us.”
Read the full story at L.A. Taco.
10:56 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 21
Federal agent opens fire in Willowbrook
A federal agent involved in an immigration operation opened fire Wednesday morning in the Willowbrook community in southeast LA, ABC7 reported.
No one was struck by the gunfire, KTLA reported, and a Department of Homeland Security statement said the agent opened fire after his vehicle was struck by the car of the man he was trying to arrest. A Customs and Border Protection officer was injured in the incident, DHS said without providing more details.
Video showed a large crowd gathering at the scene, which also drew law enforcement from multiple federal and local agencies.
8:06 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 20
Senators Padilla and Schiff tour California’s largest immigration detention center
Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff spent six hours on Tuesday at California City’s immigration detention center, the largest in the state. They reported seeing crowded cells, moldy food, and poor medical care, including no insulin for people with diabetes.
The majority of the detainees they met at the facility do not have a prior criminal records and were detained at their immigration appointments.
About 1,450 people are currently being held at the California City Immigration Processing Center, according to officials. Schiff and Padilla expect more to be brought to the facility as the Trump administration ramps up immigration enforcement across the country.
“I’m leaving here even more concerned than I was when I arrived,” Padilla said. “If the administration is true to their word, the population here is only going to grow. So the need to address nutrition, medical attention, mental health care is only going to grow.”
2:43 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 20
2 taken in separate weekend immigration raids in Boyle Heights
Two people were taken into custody in separate immigration enforcement operations in Boyle Heights over the weekend, according to a rapid response team.
Video shared on social media showed armed agents placing a person into a silver SUV on Sunday, around 9:20 a.m. on St. Louis Street outside Hollenbeck Park.
Shortly afterward, another video showed agents in a similar-colored SUV pulling up to a man on the ground on Lorena Street and Olympic Boulevard around 10 a.m. The man is crouched next to a bicycle when an agent attempts to pick him up before the video cuts off.
Raquel Roman with the Boyle Heights Immigrant Rights Network confirmed that one person was taken during each operation.
—Jessica Perez
2:15 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 20
Eastside students walk out on anniversary of Trump’s second inauguration
In a show of protest against the Trump administration’s intensified immigration enforcement, students at at least two high schools on LA’s Eastside staged walkouts on Tuesday.
At Garfield High School, a video shared on social media showed students walking out shortly after 12:30 p.m. and making their way toward Los Angeles City Hall.
At around 1 p.m., students at Roosevelt High School also walked out of campus.
The demonstrations are part of nationwide protests marking the anniversary of President Donald Trump’s second inauguration.
2:43 p.m. Friday, Jan. 16
‘They’re escalating’: A Q&A with Rob Bonta on Trump’s immigration crackdown
CalMatters spoke with California Attorney General Rob Bonta this week about recent developments in court cases involving the Trump administration’s deployment of the National Guard and how Bonta views the administration’s current focus on Minneapolis.
CalMatters: In terms of what California does next on this issue, is there anything that you all are doing in preparation for maybe (large-scale immigration raids) coming back, or perhaps an escalation in tactics like we’re seeing in Minnesota?
Bonta: We’re ready for anything. I think when you see incidents like we’re seeing in Minnesota, you have to assume that it could happen here in California.
Read the full interview at CalMatters.
8:57 a.m. Friday, Jan. 16
Witness describes ‘chaotic’ Fashion District immigration operation
A witness told NBC Los Angeles that the presence of federal immigration agents in the Fashion District caused fear and blocked traffic.
“It was chaotic,” said the man, who works in the area.
The agents visited vendors and asked for proof of citizenship, KTLA reported.
It didn’t immediately appear that agents detained anyone in that operation. Video on social media showed armed agents in tactical gear in the street. L.A. Taco noted that it seemed to be a shift in tactics from agents, who appeared to be posing.
—Claudia Koerner
2:17 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 15
Mayor Bass responds after videos show federal agents in Fashion District
Videos on social media showed armed federal agents in downtown LA’s Fashion District on Thursday, drawing a response from LA Mayor Karen Bass.
Bass said she was “deeply alarmed” to see immigration enforcement return to the area, which was hit hard during last summer’s chaotic immigration raids.
“This purposeful campaign of fear and intimidation by the administration is unacceptable. These tactics do not make anyone safer – they only sow terror in our communities and disrupt basic principles of safety in our city,” Bass said. “Angelenos – and Americans across the country – have made it clear: we want ICE out of our cities.”
—Claudia Koerner
11:35 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 15
Assemblymember calls ‘BS’ on recent ICE raids
Assemblymember Mark González, whose district includes Montebello, Commerce and parts of downtown, denounced this week’s ICE raids in a statement.
“This BS must end. From Montebello to Commerce to Little Tokyo, ICE is terrorizing our working communities, targeting our neighbors, our families, our friends,” he said. “This doesn’t make us safer. It spreads fear, destroys trust, and traumatizes people. GTFO of AD 54. Get out of California. Stop terrorizing our communities. Your intimidation is not enforcement, it’s failure and cruelty.”
—Claudia Koerner
8:56 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 15
Boyle Heights Beat reporter Laura Anaya-Morga breaks down 1 Eastside ICE raid
Wednesday, Jan. 14
L.A. Taco tracks ICE detentions, sightings
3:56 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 14
Supervisor Solis denounces federal agents’ alleged racial profiling of Latino LA County employees
Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda L. Solis, whose district includes East LA, denounced the recent federal immigration operations, including reports that two Latino Los Angeles County Parks employees were accosted and questioned by agents at Whittier Narrows Recreation Area.
“The Trump administration continues to use fear and intimidation to target our communities of color and working families. In fact, there are several reports today of ICE targeting and detaining landscapers, roofers, and construction workers—hardworking people simply trying to earn an honest living,” Solis said in a statement.
“Make no mistake: Los Angeles County will continue to protect all our employees, our residents, and our public spaces. I will continue to act to hold this administration accountable for its complete disregard of our Constitution and our democracy.”
—Jessica Perez
3:12 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 14
Worker detained in East LA, leaves car behind
A man working near a sewing factory in East Los Angeles was taken in an apparent immigration enforcement operation on Wednesday, according to the Boyle Heights Immigrant Rights Network.
The worker was detained near the intersection of Olympic Boulevard and Simmons Avenue, and he was forced to leave his car behind, the group said after speaking with his wife.
—Jessica Perez
2:38 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 14
El Super workers demand immigration enforcement protocols to protect them and shoppers
Maria Silva works at the El Super off Century Boulevard in Inglewood, in the same sprawling parking lot as a Home Depot.
She’s been on the job for 17 years. The work is hard, and her wages are low. But since summer, her role as a supervisor at the grocery store chain has included a new challenge: co-workers and customers are worried about U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Her customers come in talking about recent sightings, or asking if federal agents have been in the area. After a regular stopped coming into the store, Silva said she heard through the grapevine that he’d been picked up by federal agents.
“ It’s somebody that I would interact with almost every single day, because he would come and get his coffee and bread,” she said, holding back tears. “It upsets me. It makes me feel like I can’t do anything about it.”
Silva is among the workers at seven unionized El Super locations in Southern California, including the store in Inglewood, who are asking their employer to implement more protocols to protect them and shoppers at their stores from federal agents.
2:15 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 14
Man detained by ICE had worked at East LA car wash for 15 years, his brother says
Alexander de León drove up to Clement’s Car Wash in East LA on Wednesday afternoon looking for his brother, Jose Rodolfo de León, who has worked there for 15 years. Alexander’s daughter had heard about the ICE activity nearby, and they drove to the car wash together to find out what had happened.
“We’ve heard nothing about him,” Alexander said. He hadn’t seen the Instagram video that showed masked federal agents walking with a man. Upon viewing it, Alexander confirmed that the man being detained was his brother.
Jose Rodolfo has lived in the U.S. since 2007 and is a resident of Boyle Heights, his brother said.
—Laura Anaya-Morga
2:01 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 14
LA Catholics expected leadership on immigration. They say their archbishop hasn’t delivered
Credit: Archdiocese of Los Angeles
Just days after federal immigration agents raided Los Angeles’ Fashion District in June, LA Archbishop José H. Gomez took the stage with other faith leaders at nearby Grand Park, declaring in front of hundreds that everyone — including immigrants — had fundamental rights.
The archbishop then seemed to take a swipe at President Donald Trump’s Make America Great Again movement as he asserted that all men and women have dignity.
“This beautiful belief is what makes America great,” said Gomez, who leads the LA Archdiocese, the nation’s largest Catholic community.
To Catholics like Angel Mortel, a lead organizer with the multifaith organization LA Voice, this moment was incredibly meaningful amid so much chaos. Protests against the raids had erupted downtown. Demonstrators were being tear-gassed at marches. The National Guard arrived in the city. With so much fear and uncertainty, Mortel was inspired by the simple fact that Gomez showed up, noting that Catholic leadership is often absent from interfaith actions.
“I hadn’t seen that from him previously. I felt very hopeful that this could signal an opening for more Catholic participation in speaking out against the raids and other injustices,” said Mortel, a parishioner at Dolores Mission in Boyle Heights.
Since the raids began in LA County — a region where 83% of all parishes offer Spanish-language Mass — the LA Archdiocese has supported immigrants in various ways. It has provided training to about 180 priests, deacons and religious sisters to accompany immigrants to their court hearings. An archdiocesan funding initiative was established to help immigrants. LA Archdiocese bishops visited detainees at the Adelanto Detention Center in December, celebrating Mass with undocumented immigrants held at the facility.
But to some Catholic leaders and organizers, there’s room for more. They’re yearning for Gomez, an immigrant from Mexico, to be more available at protests, vigils and press conferences — just as he was last summer. They want to see him publicly denounce what they see as an ongoing assault on human dignity, with Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids indiscriminately targeting Latinos and at times turning deadly.
1:59 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 14
At least 1 man detained in East LA, community organizers say
ICE activity was reported on Wednesday by various rapid response groups across the Eastside.
Centro CSO said it appears one person was detained near South Eastern Avenue and East 3rd Street near Clement’s Car Wash around 12:16 p.m. In the video, three masked federal agents are seen walking with a man while another agent walks inside the car wash lot. As of 1:33 p.m., the car wash appeared closed, no workers were inside, and cones blocked the entrances.
On Wednesday morning, in a video posted by Unión del Barrio on Instagram, masked federal agents were captured asking vendors questions about their immigration status. No one was detained in that incident, Unión del Barrio said.
Around 10:40 a.m., a rapid responder drove down Olympic Boulevard near South Atlantic Boulevard, alerting the community through a megaphone that ICE had been spotted in the area.
—Laura Anaya-Morga
6:35 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 13
‘ICE free’ zones: Leaders to ban ICE from operating on county land
The LA County Board of Supervisors took a step toward banning ICE from unlawfully operating on county-owned property and to post signage designating those spaces as “ICE Free Zones.”
The board unanimously approved the motion at Tuesday’s meeting, directing staff to draft the policy.
The draft could include requirements for county employees to report to their supervisor if they see unauthorized immigration activity on county property.
5:53 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 13
2 workers detained in apparent ICE raid outside Inglewood grocery store
Two crew members working on an Inglewood city drain system project were detained by apparent federal agents on Tuesday, according to a city inspector who was at the work site monitoring the project.
William Payne, an inspector with Inglewood Public Works, said he was on site when a group of dark-colored SUVs pulled up to the city project in front of the Superior Grocer at the corner of La Brea and Beach avenues.
Masked men, some wearing clothes with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement markings, jumped out of the group of vehicles and arrested the two workers, Payne said.
10:53 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 13
In a time of fire and ICE, these 4 botánicas have become a refuge for immigrant communities
Amid ICE raids and neighborhoods still scarred by past fires, immigrants and survivors are finding sanctuary in unexpected places: botánicas. They are more than just shops for purchasing candles, incense, cleansing bundles, and religious statues. These shops offer spaces to grieve, heal and reclaim a sense of control.
Botánicas function as vital community space holders and casual counseling centers, offering a sense of control and justice during turbulent times, Ellie Valdivia tells The LA Local.
“People were and still are, living with the impact of fear and terror throughout our communities”, says Valdivia who founded Earthy Corazon, a botánica in City Terrace.
Tuesday, Jan. 13
‘Huge influx’ in immigration raids over the weekend: L.A. Taco
8:42 p.m. Monday, Jan. 12
Eastside communities, officials condemn ICE detentions on first day back to school
Elected officials, school leaders and community advocates condemned federal immigration enforcement across Eastside neighborhoods on Monday, as families returned to school following the Los Angeles Unified School District’s winter recess.
Community members reported immigration activity in El Sereno, Eagle Rock and Highland Park. According to the Boyle Heights Immigrant Rights Network, three street vendors were detained before 10 a.m. at York Boulevard and Figueroa Street in Highland Park, including a father of three LAUSD students who is the head of his household. The network also confirmed that another person was detained at Division Street and Cypress Avenue in Cypress Park.
Two additional people were detained near a commercial strip mall in El Sereno, according to Council District 14 spokesperson Alejandra Alarcon.
7:57 a.m. Monday, Jan. 12
Watching ICE can turn deadly. These volunteers aren’t backing down.
At 5:45 a.m. on a recent Thursday, 20 people stood in a close circle in the parking lot of a Historic South Central donut shop, puffs of breath hanging in the chill air and phones glowing with the latest updates about Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity.
A Unión del Barrio leader assigned patrol areas across South LA to the volunteers, reminding everyone to move slowly, check in regularly by radio and take photos of key intersections and locations for social media — even if ICE wasn’t present — so the community would know no agents were seen.
“There’s more ICE activity this week than there has been in the last couple of weeks — you should know that,” announced one of the group’s leaders, who asked to remain anonymous for safety reasons. “This morning, we heard they were at La Cienega and Jefferson near the Metro line, about five vehicles. That’s all we have so far. So let’s go out — hopefully we see nothing.”
1:21 p.m. Friday, Jan. 9
‘An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us’: Organizers march after fatal ICE shooting in Minneapolis
Large crowds gathered at Mariachi Plaza Thursday evening to denounce the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by an immigration agent in Minneapolis.
Chants of “Up with liberation, down with deportation!” “No justice, no peace!” and “Say her name!” echoed in the streets as protesters marched across the 1st Street bridge to the Los Angeles Metropolitan Detention Center.
