Los Angeles Asian and Hispanic Communities Unite to Oppose ICE Raids

Asian and Latino activists and workers joined forces on Thursday to demand an end to immigration raids carried out by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and called for the release of several workers detained on July 6 in Los Angeles. The show of solidarity marks a rare but significant alliance between two of California’s largest racial minority communities.

“My brother José, along with 14 others from my community, was kidnapped by ICE on July 6,” said Carlos González, a Los Angeles–born resident of Mexican descent, in an interview with EFE. “They were taken without reason and separated from our families for many days. Most were factory and construction workers.”

González joined a group of families with relatives currently held in ICE detention centers to protest what they described as unjustified enforcement tactics. The demonstration was held at Seoul International Park and organized by both Asian and Latino activist groups.

T.J. Kim, a Korean immigrant and member of the organization KIWA (Koreatown Immigrant Workers Alliance), reported that earlier this week, ICE agents arrested two employees at one of Koreatown’s most popular markets while they were working.

Kim and fellow activists condemned the recent ICE operations as “illegal” and “intimidating,” especially the deployment of 90 heavily armed federal agents on July 7 at MacArthur Park in downtown Los Angeles.

These militarized actions have sparked widespread concern among community groups, day labor organizations, immigrant rights advocates, and even local officials, including Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who labeled the MacArthur Park operation a violent act.

KIWA representatives reported that at least 1,006 immigrants of various backgrounds have been detained in Los Angeles in recent months. Many of the arrests, they claim, were carried out by plainclothes agents who failed to identify themselves.

During the demonstration, activists emphasized that car wash workers are among the most heavily targeted groups. A total of 106 workers from that sector have reportedly been detained in recent operations.

“We come from countries plagued by violence, dictatorship, corruption, and climate change. We arrive in this country hoping to give our families a better life,” said María Herrera, a Guatemalan migrant. “That is why we must fight to live freely in our communities.”

Pro-immigrant organizations are calling on local authorities to improve safety conditions for migrant communities and to implement measures to release those currently detained, particularly those contributing to the city’s economy.

Relatives of detainees, including González, have raised serious concerns about the conditions in ICE facilities, claiming that basic needs such as water are being denied and that detainees are subjected to outdoor interrogations.

A report published this week by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC) at Syracuse University revealed that in April, ICE expanded capacity at 45 of its 181 detention centers to accommodate rising numbers of detainees.

The report also noted cases in which detainees have been transferred to facilities far from their families. One such case involved Salvadoran migrant Rodolfo Villanueva, who was detained in California but relocated to a detention center in El Paso, Texas.