Immigration agents can be seen questioning a woman in Cypress Park on Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025. (Video courtesy of the Boyle Heights Immigrant Rights Network)
A woman was detained by federal immigration agentsin Cypress Park on Tuesday, part of ongoing enforcement operations in the L.A. region.
In a video obtained by Boyle Heights Beat, masked men in jeans, T-shirts, and caps and wearing green military-style vests, can be seen surrounding a Toyota van with two women inside, one in the driver’s seat and the other in the passenger’s seat. Witnesses can be heard demanding to see a warrant, but none was presented, according to witnesses at the scene.
The video was captured by a witness shortly before noon near Avenue 28 and Pepper Avenue, according to the Boyle Heights Immigrants Rights Network, which identified the agents as being from Border Patrol.
“Which agents are you?” one person can be heard saying in the video. “Can we see the warrant you have with her name?” another asks.
An agent wearing a backwards Dodgers cap tells a bystander, “Get back. Don’t get closer.”
Another agent is seen talking to the woman sitting in the passenger’s seat with the door open, while other agents surround the van as they stand on the sidewalk and next to a truck and SUV. “This case concerns her, not you or anybody else,” the agent is heard telling a man.
The woman was taken to the Metropolitan Detention Center, according to Raquel Roman, executive director of Proyecto Pastoral, which operates the Boyle Heights Immigrant Rights Network.
“People need to stay vigilant. People believe there’s protection, but there isn’t. They don’t have warrants and they are profiling,” Roman said.
My background: I was part of the team that launched De Los, a new section of the Los Angeles Times exploring Latino identity. I’ve been a local reporter for The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, The San Gabriel Valley Tribune, and The Orange County Register. You can find my writing on religion, food, and culture in The Atlantic, Eater, the Associated Press, the Washington Post, and Religion News Service. My upbringing spans South Central, El Monte, and Pomona.
What I do: I write about how decisions surrounding immigration, city hall, schools, health, religion and culture impact Boyle Heights and East LA. I do this by spending time with residents and community members, reaching out to civic and elected leaders, and by analyzing related research. I also mentor Boyle Heights Beat youth journalists.
Why LA: It’s where I’m from. Reporting and living here means appreciating the different neighborhood identities that make up LA. Also, nothing beats walking along the LA River, hiking at Debs Park, or catching a sunset while running on the Sixth Street Bridge in Boyle Heights.
The best way to contact me: My email is alejandra.molina@boyleheightsbeat.org.
My background: I was born in Mexico and raised in Boyle Heights, where I got my start in journalism by launching a community blog. Most recently, I worked at the Los Angeles Times and have spent most of my career covering local news in LA, with a focus on community-centered stories, Latino communities and mentoring emerging writers.
What I do: I lead coverage of Boyle Heights and East LA across all platforms to inform, connect and uplift our community. I spend my days listening, planning, editing and coordinating to make sure our stories reflect the community fairly, while supporting and mentoring my team of reporters and freelancers so they can grow along the way.
Why LA?: It’s home. It’s the sounds of Spanglish and other languages, the smell of tacos and kimchi, the way street art tells stories and how, even though I hate traffic, I love how the freeways can take me to the beach or the mountains on a whim.
The best way to contact me: My email is jessica.perez@boyleheightsbeat.org.
