ICE conducts immigration raids in southern California amid growing activist pushback

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been conducting raids targeting undocumented immigrants with criminal records across Los Angeles and other parts of Southern California. Videos circulating on social media show federal agents wearing bulletproof vests and driving unmarked vehicles, while reports of immigration enforcement activities continue to emerge.

On February 23, an immigrant advocacy group released footage showing ICE agents conducting an operation at an apartment complex in Alhambra. According to reports, the agents were targeting the home of 56-year-old Felipe Espinoza, a Los Angeles traffic enforcement officer. Witnesses said ICE agents arrived in two black vehicles and demanded, “Open the door.”

Neighbors reported that the agents presented a search warrant, stating they were looking for Espinoza’s father-in-law. Espinoza allegedly told them he had not seen him in some time.

According to Fox News, ICE conducted joint operations over the weekend with the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in areas including Alhambra and Highland Park. Fox News also reported that the Alhambra Police Department was informed by the FBI about the enforcement actions.

As the raids unfolded, detention facilities also made preparations. The Los Angeles Times, citing sources, reported on February 24 that the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Los Angeles—a federal facility—was notified in advance that up to 120 undocumented immigrants could be detained over the weekend.

The MDC, typically staffed to process new detainees only on weekdays, had additional personnel working over the weekend in anticipation of the arrests. However, by the afternoon of February 23, fewer than a dozen detainees had been transferred to the facility.

ICE has declined to confirm whether the raids took place or to disclose the number of arrests. Both the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) stated they were not involved in the operations and referred all inquiries to ICE.

Amid heightened immigration enforcement, advocacy groups have been actively intervening to block ICE raids. The Community Self-Defense Coalition, a volunteer-based immigrant rights group, told KTLA on February 24 that it had successfully disrupted two immigration raids—one in Alhambra and another in San Fernando.

According to reports, the group received tips about planned ICE operations on February 23 and immediately mobilized to the raid locations. The coalition consists of over 100 volunteers who patrol neighborhoods to alert communities about ICE enforcement actions.

Volunteer Rob Gochez told KTLA, “We denounce [ICE] and alert the community with megaphones. We were there until the agents left. They didn’t kidnap anybody today.”

The Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California (AJSOCAL), led by Korean American activist Connie Chung Joe, issued a statement denouncing the Trump administration’s deportation policies, particularly the forced removal of Asian immigrants.

“Entire planes full of South Asians and other AAPI migrants are being forcibly sent to foreign countries with little information, inadequate resources, and no legal representations,” Chung Joe said. “We cannot allow history to repeat itself with internment-style deportations.”

Despite the reported enforcement actions, The Los Angeles Times described the overall impact of the raids as “not as extensive as feared.” The newspaper reported that although correctional officers were called in to work over the weekend, around a dozen detainees had been booked into MDC by the afternoon of February 23.

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump reaffirmed his commitment to aggressive immigration enforcement during the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on February 22.

“Over the past few weeks, we’ve begun the largest deportation operation in American history—larger even than President Dwight D. Eisenhower,” Trump said. “Very moderate man, but he was very strong that he didn’t like people running into our country and taking over our country.”

BY YOUNGNAM KIM   [kim.youngnam@koreadaily.com]