US Immigration Authorities Face Backlash in Los Angeles
A fresh wave of immigration raids in the Los Angeles area has sparked widespread protests and condemnation from California officials, following the arrest of a union leader on Friday.
According to reports from The Guardian, US immigration authorities extended their area raids into Paramount, south-east of Los Angeles, on Saturday, and were met with more protests outside an industrial park. The scene was marked by border patrol personnel in riot gear and gas masks, who stood guard and deployed teargas as bystanders and protesters gathered on medians and across the street.
The protests were sparked by the arrest of David Huerta, the president of the California branch of the Service Employees International Union, who was detained on Friday during a protest at a federal detention facility in downtown LA. Huerta was injured and released a statement to the Los Angeles Times from 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."
The raids, which began on Friday, have been widely condemned by California officials, including Governor Gavin Newsom, who stated: "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."
In response to the protests, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem pushed back, saying: "A message to the LA rioters: you will not stop us or slow us down. @Icegov will continue to enforce the law. And if you lay a hand on a law enforcement officer, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."
According to The Guardian, Ice officers arrested more than 40 people on Friday as they executed search warrants at multiple locations, including outside a clothing warehouse where a tense scene unfolded as a crowd tried to block agents from driving away.
The Los Angeles mayor, Karen Bass, said the activity was meant to "sow terror" in the nation’s second-largest city. In a statement on Saturday, Ice acting director Todd Lyons chided Bass for the city’s response to protests, saying: "Mayor Bass took the side of chaos and lawlessness over law enforcement. Make no mistake, ICE will continue to enforce our nation’s immigration laws and arrest criminal illegal aliens."
Tia Orr, executive director of SEIU California, called for an end to the raids, saying: "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."
The raids have sparked widespread condemnation, with many calling for an end to the Trump administration’s immigration policies. The California representative Jimmy Gomez said: "You have the right to remain silent. Film everything. Don’t sign anything without a lawyer. Don’t open the door w/o a signed warrant."
The protests are set to continue, with many residents and activists vowing to stand up against the immigration raids and the Trump administration’s policies.
As the situation continues to unfold, The Guardian will provide updates and analysis on the developing story.
In related news, California leaders have condemned the Ice raids in LA, with many calling for an end to the Trump administration’s immigration policies. To read more on this story, click here: California leaders condemn Ice raids in LA: ‘We will not stand for this’.
