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Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
California leaders condemn Ice raids in LA: ‘We will not stand for this'
The Department of Homeland Security conducted raids on multiple locations across Los Angeles on Friday, clashing with the crowds of people who gathered to protest and prompting widespread criticism from California leaders. Masked agents were recorded pulling several people out of two LA-area Home Depot stores and the clothing manufacturer Ambient Apparel's headquarters in LA's Fashion District. Immigration advocates said the raids also included four other locations, including a doughnut shop. There has not yet been confirmation of how many people were taken into custody during the coordinated sweeps. At an afternoon press conference, Angelica Salas, executive director for the Coalition of Humane Immigrant Rights, said at least 45 people were arrested without warrants. 'Our community is under attack and is being terrorized. These are workers, these are fathers, these are mothers, and this has to stop. Immigration enforcement that is terrorizing our families throughout this country and picking up our people that we love must stop now,' Salas told the crowd. The protest only grew as the afternoon wore on. By 6pm local time, hundreds of people assembled around the federal building in downtown Los Angeles, where those taken into custody during the raids are being held. Earlier in the day, armed agents clad in heavy protective and tactical gear, including some who wore gas masks, could be seen on video and through aerial footage pushing individuals and trying to corral large groups that congregated to challenge the raids. Smoke grenades were reportedly thrown near the crowds and pepper spray was used as the federal officers attempted to clear the area. As the demonstrations continued into the evening, videos showed officers firing less-lethal weapons toward protestors. Some people in the crowd attempted to block large armored trucks carrying FBI agents as they departed. One person reportedly threw eggs at the vehicles. The Los Angeles fire department was called to the scene to administer aid to protesters injured by agents and officers, which included the president of the California branch of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), David Huerta. The organization said in statement he was detained and called for his immediate release. Huerta, who was injured and detained, released a statement to the Los Angeles Times from the hospital, saying: '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. We all collectively have to object to this madness because this is not justice,' he added. 'We call for an end to the cruel, destructive, and indiscriminate Ice raids that are tearing apart our communities, disrupting our economy, and hurting all working people,' Tia Orr, executive director of SEIU California said. 'Immigrant workers are essential to our society: feeding our nation, caring for our elders, cleaning our workplaces, and building our homes.' The Los Angeles police department also assisted the federal officers in dispersing demonstrators, despite the department's insistence that it is not involved in 'civil immigration enforcement', and would only have a presence to ensure public safety. Advocates used megaphones from the streets outside where the raids were occurring to remind workers inside of their rights, the Los Angeles Times reported. Some called out individual names and demanded they be given access to lawyers. 'The community is here with you,' one person shouted. 'Your family is here with you.' Los Angeles leaders were quick to condemn the actions, which were part of a string of high-profile raids undertaken by Immigration and Customs Enforcement under orders from Donald Trump. In a statement on Friday, California governor Gavin Newsom said: 'Continued chaotic federal sweeps, across California, to meet an arbitrary arrest quota are as reckless as they are cruel. Donald Trump's chaos is eroding trust, tearing families apart, and undermining the workers and industries that power America's economy.' Newsom also condemned Huerta's arrest, saying: 'David Huerta is a respected leader, a patriot, and an advocate for working people. No one should ever be harmed for witnessing government action.' 'I am closely monitoring the Ice raids that are currently happening across Los Angeles, including at a Korean-American owned store in my district,' Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove said in a post on X, along with instructions on how affected constituents could reach her office for help. 'LA has long been a safe haven for immigrants,' she added. 'Trump claims he's targeting criminals, but he's really just tearing families apart and destabilizing entire communities.' Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement that she was 'deeply angered by what has taken place', and that her office was coordinating with immigrant rights community organizations. 'These tactics sow terror in our communities and disrupt basic principles of safety in our city,' she said. 'We will not stand for this.' In response, Trump's deputy chief of staff, Stephen Miller, who has functioned as one of the chief architects of the administration's draconian immigration crackdowns, wrote: 'You have no say in this at all. Federal law is supreme and federal law will be enforced.' Los Angeles councilmember Eunisses Hernandez said in a statement: 'These actions are escalating: agents arrive without warning and leave quickly, aware that our communities mobilize fast. I urge Angelenos to stay alert.' Meanwhile, the California senator Alex Padilla said: 'The Ice raids across Los Angeles today are a continuation of a disturbing pattern of extreme and cruel immigration enforcement operations across the country. These indiscriminate raids prove once again that the Trump administration cares about nothing but instilling harm and fear in our communities to drive immigrants into the shadows. It will not work.' He added: 'This fearmongering is not going to change the fact that immigrants are valued members of our communities who contribute to our society and economy, and my office will demand accountability for today's actions.' Similarly, the Los Angeles county supervisor Lindsey Horvath called the Ice raids 'acts of cruelty and bigotry, targeting our immigrant neighbors and tearing families apart'. Horvath added: 'These actions are designed to instill fear in communities of color – but we will not be intimidated, and we will not be silent. I'm in direct communication with county, state, & community leaders to ensure that all available protections from LA County are activated immediately. We must remain vigilant. We must protect one another. And above all, we will stand together.' Maya Yang contributed to this report
Metro
a day ago
- Politics
- Metro
45 arrested after police pepper spray protesters outside immigration raid
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Massive immigration raids promised by Donald Trump are underway in major cities across the US – and one in Los Angeles descended into chaos. Raids took place across the City of Angels, but counterprotests led to multiple arrests, allegedly without warrants. Two Home Depot stores, a clothing shop called Ambient Apparel and other locations were raided by ICE agents. The video showed police throwing smoke bombs and one officer tackling a protester. Hundreds gathered as tensions increased. The violent scenes sparked outrage online, and the Coalition of Humane Immigrant Rights said 45 people were arrested without warrants. Executive director Angelica Salas said: 'Our community is under attack and is being terrorised. These are workers, these are fathers, these are mothers, and this has to stop. 'Immigration enforcement that is terrorising our families throughout this country and picking up our people that we love must stop now.' 'I am closely monitoring the Ice raids that are currently happening across Los Angeles, including at a Korean-American-owned store in my district,' Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove said. 'LA has long been a safe haven for immigrants. Trump claims he's targeting criminals, but he's really just tearing families apart and destabilising entire communities.' Mayor Karen Bass said Los Angeles would 'not stand' for the violent scenes witnessed across the city. Trump began his immigration crackdown shortly after re-entering office. More Trending In January, more than 500 arrests were made in one day before the first flights out of the United States began. The President issued an executive order, posted to the White House website, outlining Trump's plan to prevent undocumented immigrants from 'invading' communities and costing state and local governments. And a policy which previously restricted officers' abilities to arrest undocumented immigrants at 'sensitive' locations, such as schools, churches and hospitals, was rolled back. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Inside the immigration raids on UK nail bars, construction sites and restaurants MORE: Why I'm scared by a report about Britain's 'minority white' future MORE: Universal digital 'BritCards' on an app could soon be used to prove who you are
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Masked Ice agents carry out series of raids in Los Angeles
The Department of Homeland Security conducted raids on multiple locations across Los Angeles on Friday, clashing with the crowds of people who gathered to protest. Masked agents were recorded pulling several people out of two LA-area Home Depot stores and the clothing manufacturer Ambient Apparel's headquarters in LA's Fashion District. There has not yet been confirmation of how many people were taken into custody, but initial estimates provided by news helicopter reports shows roughly two dozen people were loaded into white vans and taken away. Armed agents clad in heavy protective and tactical gear, including some who wore gas masks, could also be seen pushing individuals and trying to corral large groups that congregated to challenge the raids, and smoke grenades were reportedly thrown near the crowds. Pepper spray was used as the federal officers attempted to clear the area. Some people in the crowd attempted to block large armored trucks carrying FBI agents as they departed. One person reportedly threw eggs at the vehicles. The Los Angeles fire department was called to the scene to administer aid to protesters injured by agents and officers, which included the president of the California branch of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), David Huerta, the organization said in statement calling for his immediate release. 'We call for an end to the cruel, destructive, and indiscriminate Ice raids that are tearing apart our communities, disrupting our economy, and hurting all working people,' Tia Orr, executive director of SEIU California said. 'Immigrant workers are essential to our society: feeding our nation, caring for our elders, cleaning our workplaces, and building our homes.' The Los Angeles police department also assisted the federal officers in dispersing demonstrators, despite the department's insistence that it is not involved in 'civil immigration enforcement', and would only have a presence to ensure public safety. Advocates used megaphones from the streets outside where the raids were occurring to remind workers inside of their rights, the Los Angeles Times reported. Some called out individual names and demanded they be given access to lawyers. 'The community is here with you,' one person shouted. 'Your family is here with you.' Los Angeles leaders were quick to condemn the actions, which were part of a string of high-profile raids undertaken by Immigration and Customs Enforcement under orders from Donald Trump. 'I am closely monitoring the Ice raids that are currently happening across Los Angeles, including at a Korean-American owned store in my district,' Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove said in a post on X, along with instructions on how impacted constituents could reach her office for help. 'LA has long been a safe haven for immigrants,' she added. 'Trump claims he's targeting criminals, but he's really just tearing families apart and destabilizing entire communities.' Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement that she was 'deeply angered by what has taken place,' and that her office was coordinating with immigrant rights community organizations. 'These tactics sow terror in our communities and disrupt basic principles of safety in our city,' she said. 'We will not stand for this.' Los Angeles councilmember Eunisses Hernandez said in a statement: 'These actions are escalating: agents arrive without warning and leave quickly, aware that our communities mobilize fast. I urge Angelenos to stay alert.'
