Protest Against ICE on Second Day in Los Angeles
Demonstrators Protest Against ICE on Second Day in Los Angeles
Los Angeles became the site of intense protest on the second successive day with activist groups venturing onto the streets and voicing opposition to ongoing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations, which ran amok in the city since Friday. The protests, which began originally in opposition to mass raids on immigrants, have drawn several hundred community organisers, activists, and concerned citizens into the streets, notably around federal buildings in downtown Los Angeles.
ICE Raids Spark Outrage and Mobilization
The protests began on Friday following ICE agents, along with other federal law enforcement officials, carrying out several raids in various areas in Los Angeles, including the Fashion District, the Westlake District, and South L.A. At least 44 people were detained on immigration-related offenses and another on obstruction, Homeland Security Investigations officials added. The raids, in which the tactical teams employed unmarked vehicles, targeted locations that were believed to have undocumented workers.
Word of the detentions spread, and protesters staged protests outside the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building and other parts of downtown, demanding the release of the detained and condemning the brutality as inhuman and excessive. Family and friends of some of those detained visited the federal building and inquired about their loved ones.
Response by Law Enforcement and Escalation
By Friday evening, tensions mounted with demonstrators closing off streets, spray painting federal buildings with anti-ICE graffiti, and attempting to blockade law enforcement vehicles from leaving. The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) declared the crowd to be an unlawful assembly around 7 p.m. and deployed riot police to disperse the crowd. Police used both Friday and Saturday evening to disperse protesters with the use of tear gas, flash bangs, and smoke bombs, with some in the crowd allegedly throwing things at police and vehicles.
Protests continued on Saturday in Paramount, a city below downtown Los Angeles, where additional arrests were performed. The FBI announced that it would investigate the purported interference with federal operations throughout the protests, and federal officials promised to prosecute those responsible.
Political and Community Reaction
The subsequent protests and raids have been roundly denounced by community and immigrant rights leaders. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass denounced the raids, stating that “These tactics sow terror in our communities and disrupt basic principles of safety in our city. We will not stand for this”. Several city councilmembers issued a joint statement condemning what they called the indiscriminate targeting of children and families.
Police organizations like the LAPD and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department were quick to clarify that they are not involved in the immigration enforcement efforts and reiterated their dedication to providing security to all residents regardless of their immigration status.
Federal Response and Current Operations
The protests were denounced by senior White House adviser Stephen Miller as an “insurrection” and legitimized the administration’s aggressive enforcement of immigration policies, attempting to deport historic totals of undocumented individuals. ICE officials claimed the raids targeted those with criminal records, including gang members and those with serious offenses, but the protesters claimed many of those detained were law-abiding residents and workers.
Despite the backlash, federal officials said Thursday that immigration enforcement operations will continue to take place in Los Angeles County in the coming days. The protest is ongoing, and demonstrators have vowed to maintain pressure both on national and local officials to stop the raids and protect immigrant populations.
In the midst of the city’s attempt to cope with the fallout from the raids, the protests reflect the intense divergence and emotional resonance of opinion regarding immigration policy in Los Angeles and the nation.
