logo
Los Angeles immigration protests continue after day of ICE operations across city

Los Angeles immigration protests continue after day of ICE operations across city

CBS News5 days ago

An immigration operation in Los Angeles involving agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement led to dozens of arrests on Friday, which spurred large-scale and tense protests throughout the city.
CBS News Los Angeles learned that ICE conducted raids in the Westlake District, downtown L.A. and South L.A. on Friday. According to an ICE spokesperson, as many as 44 arrests were made.
"ICE officers and agents alongside partner law enforcement agencies, executed four federal search warrants at three locations in central Los Angeles," the spokesperson, Yasmeen Pitts O'Keefe, said. "Approximately 44 people were administratively arrested and one arrest for obstruction. The investigation remains ongoing, updates will follow as appropriate."
O'Keefe confirmed that at least one of the warrants executed was related to the "harboring of people illegally in the country."
Protests eventually centered around the Federal Building in downtown L.A. after word spread among demonstrators that detainees were allegedly being held in that building.
Images from SKYCal footage taken Friday showed one of the apparent raids appearing to take place outside of a Home Depot store in the Westlake District.
Federal agents conduct immigration operations outside a Home Depot in the Westlake District of Los Angeles. June 6, 2025.
KCAL News
More clashes on Saturday
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department confirmed on Saturday that another protest erupted in the city of Paramount after it appeared that federal law enforcement officers were conducting another operation.
The department said in a statement that a large crowd was blocking traffic in the 6400 block of Paramount Boulevard at around 12:42 p.m.
The California Highway Patrol confirmed to CBS News Los Angeles that officers were preparing for protestors to attempt to march onto the 710 Freeway. As of 12:45 p.m., protestors hadn't yet obstructed any freeway lanes.
The L.A. County Fire Department said that one person was transported to a local hospital from the scene around 12:45 p.m. The extent of their injuries aren't yet clear.
No additional details were immediately made available.
Reaction
Among the dozens of detainments, Service Employees International Union-United Service Workers West President David Huerta was arrested while protesting Friday, he confirmed.
"What happened to me is not about me; This is about something much bigger. This is about how we as a community stand together and resist the injustice that's happening. Hard-working people, and members of our family and our community, are being treated like criminals," Huerta said in a statement afterwards. "We all collectively have to object to this madness because this is not justice. This is injustice. And we all have to stand on the right side of justice."
U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said in a post to X on Friday that Huerta "deliberately obstructed" federal agents by blocking their vehicle while they executed a "lawful judicial warrant." Essayli said Huerta will be arraigned in federal court on Monday after being arrested on suspicion of interfering with federal officers.
On Saturday, Essayli confirmed that more federal law enforcement operations in L.A. County would "proceed as planned" through the weekend.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 06: LAPD officers arrest a protester outside of the Federal Building in downtown Los Angeles after the FBI and Ice Agents made arrests of illegal immigrants located in DTLA in Los Angeles, California, United States on June 06, 2025.
Jon Putman/Anadolu via Getty Images
Leaders across Los Angeles criticized the federal government and President Trump's push to increase immigration enforcement throughout the Southland in the moments following the raids.
"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," L.A. Mayor Karen Bass said. "These tactics sow terror in our communities and disrupt basic principles of safety in our city. My Office is in close coordination with immigrant rights community organizations. We will not stand for this."
In response to that statement, White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller posted on X that Bass has "no say in this at all."
"Federal law is supreme and federal law will be enforced," he said. Miller has previously said the Trump administration was "actively looking at" suspending the writ of habeas corpus in immigration cases. Suspending the writ of habeas corpus in those cases would effectively remove the right for individuals accused of entering the country illegally to appear in court before confinement.
On Friday, Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said the department would not cooperate with federal authorities in deportation efforts, a sentiment that L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna later echoed on behalf of his department.
and contributed to this report.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

How Trump-Friendly Home Depot Got Caught in America's Immigration Wars
How Trump-Friendly Home Depot Got Caught in America's Immigration Wars

Newsweek

time8 minutes ago

  • Newsweek

How Trump-Friendly Home Depot Got Caught in America's Immigration Wars

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. President Donald Trump's aggressive immigration crackdown is targeting illegal migrants—not only at airports and border crossings but also in Home Depot parking lots nationwide, putting the retail giant with a history of support for the president in a difficult position. Scenes of protest and riots that erupted in Los Angeles last week were partly sparked by an unexpected immigration raid on Friday at a Home Depot in the Westlake neighborhood. Dozens were arrested in a coordinated sweep that also hit garment factories downtown and additional Home Depot locations in suburban cities like Paramount and Huntington Park. The big-box retailer, founded in 1978 and now boasting over 2,300 stores, has long been more than just a place to buy lumber and paint—it's also been an informal hiring hub for day laborers, many of them undocumented. The parking lots of Home Depot stores around the country have functioned, for decades, as sites where homeowners and contractors can connect with available laborers for their immediate needs, no resume required. That unofficial relationship has now collided with federal immigration policy. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller talks to reporters outside of the White House West Wing on May 09, 2025 in Washington, DC. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller talks to reporters outside of the White House West Wing on May 09, 2025 in Washington, White House adviser Stephen Miller, the architect of President Trump's immigration strategy, has explicitly ordered ICE to target informal labor gathering points such as Home Depot and 7-Eleven. "Why aren't you at Home Depot?" Miller reportedly asked ICE leadership in a Washington meeting last month, frustrated that arrests weren't meeting daily targets. Over the weekend, the consequences of those orders were visible across Los Angeles. In Paramount, anti-ICE protesters clashed with sheriff's deputies as raids unfolded. In Huntington Park, a predominantly Latino suburb, raids resumed Monday morning. And in Westlake, witnesses described a chaotic scene as agents detained workers while others fled. The raids are also having an economic impact, as frequent enforcement at Home Depot locations may be driving away customers. On Tuesday in northern New Jersey, the Wall Street Journal reported far fewer workers showed up for contractors than a few months ago. At two Home Depot stores in Los Angeles, store security kept the few men who did come confined to the public sidewalks. And at three stores around Houston, no laborers were seen at all. "Even workers who I know have legal status were running," said Jorge Nicolás, a senior organizer at the Central American Resource Center, or CARECEN, in an interview with the Los Angeles Times. "We felt powerless." 'We are not involved' Day laborers wait near a Home Depot home improvement store in hope of finding work for the day on August 15, 2008 in Los Angeles, California. Day laborers wait near a Home Depot home improvement store in hope of finding work for the day on August 15, 2008 in Los Angeles, California. Getty Images The sudden visibility of the immigration raids, combined with Miller's comments, has placed Home Depot at the center of a public controversy—one in which the company has denied any involvement. "We're not notified when raids are going to happen, and we are not involved in the operations," said Margaret Smith, a spokesperson for Home Depot, in a statement to Newsweek. Smith said Home Depot instructs its employees not to engage with ICE activity and to report any incidents to management. She added that workers who feel uncomfortable after witnessing immigration actions near the stores are given the option to go home for the day and still receive pay. "When ICE arrives at a parking lot or outside one of our stores, we ask our associates to report it immediately, not engage with the activity, and if associates feel uncomfortable after witnessing ICE activity, we offer associates the option to go home for the day with pay." However, critics of the company have long argued that this falls short, given the company's history and its often-contentious relationship with workers—drawing criticism from both pro- and anti-immigrant groups. It also raises questions about its ties with the administration. Home Depot CEO Bernie Marcus poses for a portrait in a Home Depot store October 15, 1998. Home Depot CEO Bernie Marcus poses for a portrait in a Home Depot store October 15, 1998. Erik Lesser/Liaison via Getty Bernie Marcus, the company's co-founder and former chairman, was one of Donald Trump's earliest and most vocal financial backers, donating more than $14 million to support his 2016 campaign and related political efforts. Though Marcus retired from the company in 2002 and died last November — one day before the election — at the age of 95, his longtime status as a GOP megadonor sparked previous boycott calls and continue to shape perceptions of the company's political alignment. Ken Langone, another Home Depot co-founder, has had a more complex relationship with Trump. Initially critical, Langone expressed renewed support for Trump in 2024, praising his resilience following the assassination attempt in Butler, Penn. and suggesting it could solidify the president's place in history. Home Depot has long worked to distance itself from the personal politics of its founders. "His views do not represent the company," a spokesperson said of Marcus during the 2019 backlash. The company also stresses that it does not endorse presidential candidates. But its political action committee has made substantial donations to Republican causes. In the 2024 election cycle, Home Depot contributed $1 million to the School Freedom Fund and $220,151 to the National Republican Congressional Committee. Another $143,569 was directed to Trump's campaign, according to OpenSecrets. In the current political climate, those past connections and donations have resurfaced amid a public reckoning over what some progressives say is a theme in corporate America of complicity and silence surrounding the most controversial policies of the Trump administration. Despite Home Depot's claims of noninvolvement, the recurring presence of ICE near its stores continues to draw national attention. The raids come at a time when the company is already under financial pressure, largely related to Trump's on-again, off-again tariff policies. First-quarter earnings dipped slightly from a year earlier, and shares fell after news of the raids broke. Analysts have warned that if public protests and customer anxiety persist, the company could face both reputational and operational fallout.

Anti-ICE rioters fight with NYPD, set police cars on fire
Anti-ICE rioters fight with NYPD, set police cars on fire

Yahoo

time24 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Anti-ICE rioters fight with NYPD, set police cars on fire

Several police vehicles were set on fire inside an NYPD parking lot overnight Wednesday, hours after anti-ICE protesters clashed with police in New York City. Eight vehicles were torched in Bushwick, Brooklyn, in a suspected arson at around 1:25 a.m. Thursday morning, police said. The vehicles, including six marked and two unmarked vehicles, caught fire in the lot at DeKalb Avenue and Central Avenue, about two blocks from the 83rd Precinct, police said. Coast-to-coast Anti-ice Chaos Caught On Camera Several were also vandalized with shattered windows. Responding officers detected a strong smell of gasoline, per Wabc. "It's very unsettling, no one wants to be living on a street that has arson happening on it, but yeah, it's unnerving for sure," a resident told the outlet. Read On The Fox News App The NYPD told Fox News that the FDNY extinguished the flames and that there were no injuries. Investigators are reviewing surveillance videos and there have been no arrests. The incident came just hours after about 100 anti-ICE protesters gathered in Lower Manhattan at Foley Square, near a large government building that houses federal immigration offices and the city's main immigration court. They shouted profanities and chanted: "How do you spell racism: I-C-E" and "Deportation no more, ICE get out of our state." Protesters Throw Rocks, Jump On Moving Ice Vehicle After Omaha Workplace Raid About 10 people were arrested when scuffles broke out with police and demonstrators refused to get off the road. Wednesday's protest followed a larger anti-ICE demonstration on Tuesday involving about 2,500 people who were protesting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids across the country in Lower Manhattan. Following that demonstration, more than 80 people were arrested after bottles were hurled at police and protesters breached metal barriers, per Fox 5. NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch told Fox 5 NY that about 2,500 people were involved and a smaller group turned violent. "There was a smaller group of a few hundred where we did have to make arrests. Some of them were looking for trouble," Tisch said. "My sense is that the vast majority of the 2,500 people that were there, were there to protest peacefully."Original article source: Anti-ICE rioters fight with NYPD, set police cars on fire

Stockton's ICE raids protest fills Victory Park
Stockton's ICE raids protest fills Victory Park

CBS News

time33 minutes ago

  • CBS News

Stockton's ICE raids protest fills Victory Park

STOCKTON -- Anti-ICE demonstrations are now spreading to California's Central Valley. Stockton's solidarity protest Wednesday started with a couple dozen people and quickly grew to well over a hundred. All of this, they say, to show solidarity with the undocumented community. "There's a lot of misinformation and disinformation in the 209. We want to show our solidarity with strength and numbers," said Alyssa Leiva with Stockton Stands, who helped organize the event. Protesters took over Victory Park, marching from Pershing Avenue -- one of Stockton's busiest streets -- to around the Haggin Museum and all the way through the park. "In the last few months, we have seen a lot of community unity and we just want to keep that going," said Alyssa Leiva. People held signs calling for immigration reform, saying no human is illegal, and ultimately calling for Immigration and Customs Enforcement to stop their raids. "The fear is growing in several places and communities, the workers in the fields. They don't want to come out of their homes to go to work, or to even go shopping," said Luis Magana. Magana works with the field and farmworkers on a daily basis and says the fear is high in their community. He says what immigration officials are doing statewide, and even nationally, is wrong. "The actions brought on this terror, and the fear. It was the way the ICE agents acted, disrespecting the rights of these people," Magana said. Wednesday's protest was peaceful, with Stockton police confirming to CBS News Sacramento there were no arrests or other issues. Organizers say they want the violence in both protests and in ICE raids to stop. "Are ICE detention centers not violent? Are 10-year-olds being held by ICE officers not violent? If you want to play the game, we have 500 years of receipts," said protester Jaylin with the group Empowering Marginalized Asian Communities. Organizers say there will be several more anti-ICE raid protests in Stockton as the week progresses.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store