A series of surprise ICE raids swept through downtown Los Angeles on Friday, triggering chaos, protests, and a heated political response. Federal agents, clad in military-style gear, executed search warrants at multiple worksites, detaining more than 40 people suspected of immigration violations and using flash-bang grenades and pepper spray to disperse crowds.
Among those detained was David Huerta, president of SEIU California, who was injured while documenting a raid and later transferred to the Metropolitan Detention Center Huerta, released after treatment, stated from the hospital, “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 sparked immediate backlash from local officials and immigrant rights groups, who condemned the operations as cruel and unnecessary Hundreds rallied outside the Los Angeles Federal Building, demanding the release of those detained and denouncing the use of force. The LAPD, while not participating in the immigration enforcement, declared an unlawful assembly and moved to disperse the crowd after protesters blocked entrances and spray-painted anti-ICE messages.
The Trump administration has vowed to continue these operations, with plans to deploy National Guard troops to Los Angeles following a second day of confrontations between protesters and federal agents As the city remains tense, the debate over immigration enforcement and community safety intensifies, with unions and advocates promising continued resistance.
