Only 7% of LAist readers currently donate to fund our journalism. Help raise that number, so our nonprofit newsroom stays strong in the face of federal cuts. Donate now.

Keep up with LAist. If you’re enjoying this article, you’ll love our daily newsletter, The LA Report. Each weekday, catch up on the 5 most pressing stories to start your morning in 3 minutes or less. Sign Up

Federal agents conducted a series of immigration sweeps across Los Angeles on Friday, prompting anger and resistance from onlookers and immigrant rights groups that have braced for this type of action for months.

About 44 people were arrested in the raids, according to a statement from a spokesperson for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement obtained by LAist’s media partner KCAL News.

“ICE officers and agents alongside partner law enforcement agencies, executed four federal search warrants at three locations in central Los Angeles,” ICE spokesperson Yasmeen Pitts O’Keefe said in the statement. “Approximately 44 people were administratively arrested and one arrest for obstruction. The investigation remains ongoing, updates will follow as appropriate.”

Confrontations between what appeared to be ICE officers and people in the streets of downtown L.A. could be seen in video aired on local television and shared on social media.

At times, uniformed agents or officers could be seen physically moving people who appeared to be blocking the officers and their vehicles.

Reports shared via the social media platform X said ICE was seen in the Garment District area of L.A. Another video showed federal agents in the parking lot of a Home Depot in Westlake, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Angelica Salas, executive director of The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, known as CHIRLA, said her organization estimated there were at least 45 detentions.

Among them was Service Employees International Union California President David Huerta, according to union authorities. They said Huerta had been injured and was receiving medical attention while in custody.

“What happened to me is not about me; This is about something much bigger,” Huerta said in a statement released by the union. “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. This is injustice. And we all have to stand on the right side of justice.”

Several immigrant rights leaders and activists, along with some city elected officials, attended a large rally Friday evening to share their reactions to the federal operations and call for a stop to them. Later, more than 300 people marched a few blocks toward the federal detention center.

Protesters march after federal immigration authorities conducted an operation on Friday, June 6, 2025, in Los Angeles. Jae C. Hong / AP )

Reaction from city officials

L.A. Mayor Karen Bass issued a statement Friday afternoon condemning the raids.

“This morning we received reports of federal immigration enforcement actions in multiple locations in Los Angeles,” the statement read. “As a Mayor of a proud city of immigrants, who contribute to our city in so many ways, I am deeply angered by what has taken place. These tactics sow terror in our communities and disrupt basic principles of safety in our city.

“My Office is in close coordination with immigrant rights community organizations,” the mayor continued. “We will not stand for this.”

All 15 members of the City Council released a joint statement that echoed some of the same points the Bass made.

“We condemn this in no uncertain terms: Los Angeles was built by immigrants and it thrives because of immigrants,” the statement read. “We will not abide by fear tactics to support extreme political agendas that aim to stoke fear and spread discord in our city.

“To every immigrant living in our city: we see you, we stand with you, and we will fight for you,” the statement continued. “Los Angeles will continue to be a place that values and dignifies every human being, no matter who they are or where they come from.”

Listen • 0:46 Listen: Immigration sweeps in LA Agents were met with anger and resistance from onlookers and immigrant rights groups that have braced for this type of action for months.

Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said his department was not involved in the raids.

“While the LAPD will continue to have a visible presence in all our communities to ensure public safety, we will not assist or participate in any sort of mass deportations, nor will the LAPD try to determine an individual’s immigration status,” he said.

After the sweeps, photographers captured several protesters being detained by officers. Addressing a crowd at a rally, L.A. Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez pushed back against previous statements by the Trump administration that ICE would focus their efforts on dangerous criminals.

“It’s never, ever, ever been the case,” Hernandez said. “Because when they come for one of us, they come for all of us. And we have to remember that.”

Dozens of immigration activists gathered in downtown Los Angeles to protest a series of federal immigration operations Friday, June 6, that resulted in several detentions. Frank Stoltze / LAist )

Councilmember Isabel Jurado noted the timing of the ICE operations, stressing that they happened at a time when families and students are celebrating graduations and the LGBTQ+ community is celebrating Pride Month.

“What kind of government plans this during our most sacred moments of joy?” Jurado asked. “The footage speaks for itself. This is cruelty disguised as policy.”

Mass deportations

Since President Donald Trump was elected, immigrant rights groups in Southern California have been on edge. Trump has promised “mass deportations” of unauthorized immigrants. There have been protests that have shut down freeways and high school walkouts by students protesting the administration.

“Los Angeles immigrant communities and allies have been preparing,” Andres Kwon of the American Civil Liberties Union told LAist in February.

The ACLU is part of the L.A. Rapid Response Network, a group of immigrant rights, legal, and faith-based groups that has a hotline for people to report ICE activity and to seek help after a raid.

The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles and other groups have hosted workshops that teach undocumented immigrants how to assert their constitutional rights, as well as how to prepare for worst-case scenarios. They’ve been telling people they don’t have to allow a federal agent into their home without a warrant and don’t have to reveal their immigration status.

The Los Angeles Unified School District began distributing “red cards,” also known as “Know Your Rights” cards, to help people assert their rights and defend themselves if they encounter federal immigration agents.

The effort came as the Trump administration announced it would allow ICE to conduct arrests in sensitive areas such as schools and churches, dismantling policies dating back to 2011 .

Before L.A., ICE conducted high-profile enforcement actions in Chicago and Boston. Last week, an ICE raid on a restaurant in San Diego’s South Park neighborhood resulted in multiple arrests. While the raid was taking place, crowds gathered outside the restaurant where many people protested the action, filming the officers on their cellphones and surrounding their vehicles.

Detentions under Biden

Removals of immigrants by ICE and Customs and Border Patrol in the L.A. area were on the rise before Trump came into office. But the Washington Post reported earlier this year that ICE had struggled to boost arrest numbers despite an infusion of resources.

ICE/CBP removals in the L.A. Area of Operations, which includes much of Southern California, increased by more than 180% between the 2022 and 2024 fiscal years, according to ICE data. More than 3,551 people were removed in fiscal 2024, which ended Sept. 30.

Detentions also rose, according to the data.

While national detentions remained fairly constant over the past four years, L.A. area detentions increased by 155% from 2022 to 2024, when 3,857 people were detained.

“That doesn’t surprise me,” Chris Newman, legal director and general counsel for the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, said earlier this year.

While in office, former President Joe Biden was under increasing political pressure to address illegal immigration.

“The Biden administration was focused on recent arrivals and people with criminal history,” Newman said.

From 2023 to 2024, the L.A. area had significant increases in detentions (432% increase from 217 to 1,154) and removals (547% increase from 223 to 1,443) of people who had not been convicted of crimes.

LAist reporter Jordan Rynning contributed to this report.

As a fresh standoff developed Saturday between protesters and armed federal authorities in Paramount, Trump administration officials were vowing to prosecute any demonstrators who broke the law during Friday’s violent demonstrations that accompanied immigration raids in Los Angeles, and accusing Democratic elected officials of fueling lawlessness.

On Saturday morning, a crowd began gathering at the Home Depot at 6400 Alondra Blvd. Citing federal sources, Fox News Channel reported that the Department of Homeland Security has a nearby office in Paramount and was using it as a staging area.

“Protesters found it and began gathering. … CBP and Border Patrol have been brought in to provide security and extra bodies, and a handful of agitators have already been arrested today for allegedly interfering with federal agents,” the cable network reported.

Many in the crowd turned over shopping carts and other objects that were left in the street, while federal authorities in riot gear stood by. The street filled with smoke from tear gas canisters, and at least one protester could be seen on the ground bleeding in news footage, though the nature of the apparent injury wasn’t clear.

The Los Angeles Times reported that one protester set fire to a United States flag.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department confirmed that deputies were dispatched at about 11 a.m. Saturday to the Home Depot for traffic control and “general public safety” in response to federal activity there.

“ICE has brought their terror tactics and masked agents to #Paramount this morning — in my district,” Rep. Nanette Barragán, D-San Pedro, wrote on X. “This is unacceptable. We will demand answers and accountability. For those out there – please stay safe, protest peacefully, and KNOW YOUR RIGHTS.”

At one point, demonstrators threw objects at a U.S. Marshals Service bus and attempted to stop the bus from moving. A few armed federal agents exited the bus and cleared the protesters and the bus continued.

Employing tear gas, the authorities later moved most of the demonstrators away from the area in front of the Home Depot, scattering them in different directions. They closed the Alondra Boulevard off-ramps from the Long Beach (710) Freeway, and CHP vehicle were blocking the on-ramps to prevent protesters from walking onto the freeway.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn visited the Paramount site Saturday, meeting with Mayor Peggy Lemons, Vice Mayor Brenda Olmos and sheriff’s and fire department personnel.

“I’ll continue to monitor the situation,” Hahn posted on X. “Our sheriff’s deputies and fire department personnel stand ready to support our city partners and to help keep people safe. I’m calling on everyone exercising their right to protest to remain peaceful.”

The protest was still ongoing as of Saturday afternoon.

U.S. Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks said “several arrests have already been made for assault on a federal agent. ANY attack on our agents or officers will not be tolerated. You will be arrested and federally prosecuted.”

Fox11 reporter Matthew Seedorff posted a video on X showing one of the station’s news vehicles with slashed tires and smashed windows. Seedorff also said items were stolen from the vehicle.

Dan Bongino, the deputy director of the FBI, said the agency was seeking to identify a person in a yellow helmet seen in a video throwing rocks at vehicles trying to leave the scene in Paramount.

“One of the perpetrators in this video is wearing a helmet, and we’re going to use our investigative tools to locate the individual,” he said. “I strongly suggest you turn yourself in, it’s only a matter of time.”

The video can be seen at x.com/TheKevinDalton/status/1931436114411413620.

At a hastily arranged afternoon news conference in Paramount, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna called for calm.

“We will protect your right to peacefully protest, but we cannot and will not tolerate violence or destruction of property,” Luna said.

“I know that there’s a lot going on in last 24 hours regarding immigration and concerns, and all I ask our community to do here in Los Angeles (is to) approach it in a different way without using violence … I do not sanction attacks on federal officers. That is not good for any of us,” he added.

Luna also reiterated his statement Friday that the LASD does not take part in any immigration actions, but does provide crowd control when needed.

Paramount Mayor Peggy Lemons said the federal action there was “not something city officials were aware of … it is my understanding this was just a situation of staging and that actually wasn’t a raid … There have been to our knowledge no raids within the city of Paramount.”

Meanwhile, federal authorities were assailing the actions of Friday’s demonstrators, as criticizing the words of the many elected officials who expressed outrage at the raids. The day-long series of immigration enforcement actions across downtown Los Angeles saw nearly four dozen arrests following clashes with federal agents.

“What took place in Los Angeles yesterday was appalling,” Immigration and Customs Enforcement Acting Director Todd M. Lyons said in a statement Saturday. “As rioters attacked federal ICE and law enforcement officers on the LA streets, Mayor Bass took the side of chaos and lawlessness over law enforcement.

“Our brave officers were vastly outnumbered, as over 1,000 rioters surrounded and attacked a federal building. It took over two hours for the Los Angeles Police Department to respond, despite being called multiple times. The brave men and women of ICE were in Los Angeles arresting criminal illegal aliens including gang members, drug traffickers and those with a history of assault, cruelty to children, domestic violence, robbery, and smuggling.

“These violent rioters will be held accountable if they harm federal officers, and make no mistake, ICE will continue to enforce our nation’s immigration laws and arrest criminal illegal aliens. Sanctuary politicians would do well to remember that impeding our efforts only endangers their communities, law enforcement officers, and the detainees they claim to support.”

The raids began Friday morning as agents from what appeared to be multiple federal law enforcement agencies could be seen escorting men in handcuffs into vehicles outside a Home Depot at 1675 Wilshire Blvd. in the Westlake District.

“ICE officers and agents alongside partner law enforcement agencies, executed four federal search warrants at three locations in central Los Angeles,” Yasmeen Pitts O’Keefe of Homeland Security Investigations said later in a statement to CBS2. “Approximately 44 people were administratively arrested [with] one arrest for obstruction.”

O’Keefe told the Los Angeles Times that search warrants were served regarding illegal immigrants and anyone harboring them.

Later Friday morning, another raid took place at an Ambiance clothing store on Towne Avenue in the Fashion District near downtown. A crowd of people, and some protesters, gathered outside the store as the operation was being carried out, most of them taking photos or videos. Several people wearing FBI vests were seen standing by outside the store.

Several hours after the raids began, what appeared to be at least two dozen people were led out of a Fashion District building in handcuffs and loaded into white vans and driven away, escorted by federal law enforcement personnel in the street in tactical gear. Some spectators could be seen throwing objects at the vans, while others ran into the street.

At one point, a protester placed his hands on a white SUV that was being driven from the scene and tried to maneuver in front of the vehicle, but fell to the ground and was nearly run over. The driver of the SUV came to a quick stop, then backed up and sped away.

Early Friday afternoon, a throng of federal agents amassed at what appeared to be an Ambiance clothing warehouse or corporate headquarters building near 15th Street and Santa Fe Avenue in the South Los Angeles area. One person wearing a Drug Enforcement Administration vest was seen at that location.

Undocumented immigrants often gather at stores such as Home Depot and Ambiance looking for temporary work. There were also reports of additional raids being carried out Friday in areas such as Pico-Union and Cypress Park.

Hundreds of protesters gathered outside the federal building in downtown Los Angeles on Friday evening and began a march through the area to denounce the raids. The Metropolitan Detention Center was sprayed with graffiti by protesters.

Video from outside the center, taken by Anthony Cabassa, who describes himself as an “independent journalist,” showed a protester clad in all-black and wearing a mask over his mouth using a hammer on a cement block.

Pictures of graffiti on and near the jail taken by Cabassa included the phrases, “Death to Amerikka” and “Dead Cops.”

Around 7 p.m. Friday, the LAPD declared an unlawful assembly on Alameda Street between Aliso and Temple streets, warning that individuals who remain in the area were subject to arrest. Two hours later, the department issued a citywide tactical alert, requiring all officers to remain on duty after their shifts end due to the protests in downtown Los Angeles.

The raids were part of President Donald Trump’s continuing crackdown on illegal immigration. Since Trump took office in January, many such raids have been conducted across the country, sparking protests from Democrats and some legal challenges. Opponents accuse the administration of going too far, using heavy-handed militaristic tactics and targeting some legal immigrants as well.

Data show that illegal birder crossings have dropped to historic lows in recent months.

“As mayor of a proud city of immigrants, I am outraged by what has taken place and I’m appalled at the chaos that has ensued,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said. “These tactics sow terror in our communities and disrupt basic principles of safety in our city. It makes people fearful to attend school, workplaces, houses of worship, community spaces and so much more.”

Bass said she had met with families impacted by the raids and vowed that “LA will always stand with them and stand for what is right.”

The mayor said she plans to hold a meeting Monday with local immigrant-rights organizations to discuss the raids.

Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff for policy, homeland security advisor and a graduate of Santa Monica High School, wrote on social media in response to Bass’ comment, “You have no say in this at all. Federal law is supreme and federal law will be enforced.”

“The violent targeting of law enforcement in Los Angeles by lawless protestors is despicable,” the Department of Homeland Security posted on X Saturday morning, along with video showing demonstrators damaging buildings and leaving behind graffiti. “These men and women work every day, putting their lives on the line, to protect and defend the lives of American citizens.

“Mayor Bass, ICE is not responsible for `sowing a sense of terror’ the protestors YOU enabled are.”

Rep. Linda Sanchez, D-Whittier, said some immigrants who were detained were attending routine check-ins with Immigration and Customs Enforcement at the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building when they were detained.

“This is yet another cruel and deliberate act by the Trump administration in its ongoing campaign to dehumanize immigrants,” she said. “Detaining individuals, some U.S. citizens, for appearing at their immigration hearings — doing exactly what the system demands of them — is a betrayal of justice.

“Immigrants are constantly told: `Follow the rules, do things the right way and you’ll be given an opportunity.’ But now, families who are following the rules are being ambushed, handcuffed and locked away in the basement of a federal building,” she said. “They’re not being punished for breaking the law, but for trusting it. These inhumane actions by ICE upend our centuries-old due process protections and destroy the integrity of our immigration system.”

The Service Employees International Union California issued a statement saying the union’s president, David Huerta, was “injured and detained” during the raids.

Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, D-Los Angeles, said Huerta was arrested at downtown’s Roybal Federal Building.

“Huerta was Tased and brutalized for attempting to visit his union members — asylum applicants going through the immigration process legally who have been unjustly, indefinitely detained and are being held in inhumane conditions,” Kamlager-Dove said.

Huerta later issued a statement while still being treated at a hospital.

“What happened to me is not about me; this is about something much bigger,” he said. “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.”

Rep Judy Chu, D-Monterey Park, said in a statement Saturday that “It is clear that SEIU President David Huerta was exercising his right to observe law enforcement activity and stand with community in peaceful protest to these raids. I stand with David and with immigrant communities across this country, and demand his immediate release along with the release of those detained in the raids.

“I will not allow this administration to tear apart families and terrorize neighborhoods. Immigrants strengthen our nation and every person in this country has a right to due process. We need answers. We need accountability. And we need to put an end to Donald Trump’s inhumane and disgusting attacks on immigrant communities.”

Bill Essayli, U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, said “federal agents were executing a lawful judicial warrant at an LA worksite this morning when David Huerta deliberately obstructed their access by blocking their vehicle. He was arrested for interfering with federal officers and will face arraignment in federal court on Monday. Let me be clear: I don’t care who you are — if you impede federal agents, you will be arrested and prosecuted. No one has the right to assault, obstruct, or interfere with federal authorities carrying out their duties.”

Also Saturday, a group of local congressional Democrats said they were blocked from entering the Roybal Building to ensure that the detainees were being treated humanely.

“The reports of what is happening inside the Roybal Federal Building is a complete violation of our laws and a stain on our values as a country,” said Rep. Luz Rivas, D-Arleta, who said that she, Rep. Jimmy Gomez, D-Los Angeles, Rep. Norma Torres, D-Ontario, and Rep. Lou Correa, D-Santa Ana, were denied entrance.

“The Trump administration blocked my colleagues and me from conducting our congressional oversight duties into the reported abuses and neglect that is taking place at this facility. Whether Donald Trump and his administration likes it or not, our job as members of Congress is to shine a light on their actions toward immigrant families — and we will not be deterred. We will continue to use our power to protect our most vulnerable from the inhumane actions of this administration.”

In response to a query from City News Service, an FBI spokeswoman said specific details about immigration operations and arrests must come from Homeland Security Investigations as the lead agency, but she offered the following statement on the FBI’s posture regarding immigration arrests:

“The FBI is supporting our partners at the Department of Homeland Security in their immigration operations all over the country, as directed by the attorney general. The FBI is accustomed to providing investigative and technical assistance to our federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners on a regular basis.

“As we have been asked to do, we are sending agents to participate in these immigration enforcement efforts. That includes assisting in cities where major operations are already underway and where we have special agents embedded on operational teams with DHS. Our help may vary depending on what DHS needs, such as SWAT operators, who can support high risk arrest operations, and other resources such as intelligence analysts and technical support working from command posts.”

The FBI’s Bongino said in a social media post Saturday that “The Right to assemble and protest does not include a license to attack law enforcement officers, or to impede and obstruct our lawful immigration operations. We are thoroughly reviewing the evidence from yesterday’s incident in Los Angeles and we are working with the US Attorney’s Office to ensure the perpetrators are brought to justice. The days of chaos ruling the streets are over. Either obey the law, or go to jail, there’s no third option.”

And Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told Fox News Saturday that “I believe that we will press charges against everybody who has broken the law last night.”

“We’ll continue to do our ICE operations, we’ll continue to make sure everybody in this country has the law equally applied to them,” Noem said, adding: “Freedom works when everybody has justice applied equally to them.”

LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said his officers had nothing to do with Friday’s raids.

“The LAPD became aware that ICE was conducting operations in the city of Los Angeles. I’m aware that these actions cause anxiety for many Angelenos, so I want to make it clear: The LAPD is not involved in civil immigration enforcement. While the LAPD will continue to have a visible presence in all our communities to ensure public safety, we will not assist or participate in any sort of mass deportations, nor will the LAPD try to determine an individual’s immigration status.

“Since 1979, our policy has barred officers from initiating police action solely to determine a person’s immigration status. The department remains focused on critical issues like crime reduction, enhancing public safety, and improving the quality of life for all Angelenos.”

Angélica Salas, executive director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, said there were at least seven immigration raids held across the region Friday, many of them at workplaces, including a doughnut shop. She said 45 people were detained in the various operations.

She characterized the raids as “random sweeps” conducted without warrants, and those arrested were simply racially profiled. “Our community is under attack and has been terrorized,” Salas told the crowd of protesters, according to the Times. “These are workers, these are fathers, these are mothers.”

At the end of Friday’s Los Angeles City Council meeting, Councilwoman Eunisses Hernandez said her office had received reports throughout the morning “about swift and aggressive immigration raids and enforcement.”

“My team and I have been in contact with community members and rapid response organizers since early this morning in my district,” Hernandez said. “… L.A. is a sanctuary city, and we’ve made it clear that we will not cooperate [or] use our resources for ICE and federal immigration enforcement, but that doesn’t stop them from showing up. Now, we’re seeing their tactics quickly escalate.

“They’re swooping in fast, without warning and leaving just as quickly. They don’t hang around because they know we mobilize. Our resistance is working, and that’s exactly why they have elevated their approach and changed their approach, colleagues.”

Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis called the actions “deeply disturbing.”

“The individuals detained are hardworking Angelenos who contribute to our local economy and labor force every day,” Solis said. “It is also horrifying that ICE targeted Skid Row to intimidate some of our most vulnerable residents. Trump said he would go after criminals, not innocent hardworking people contributing to our economy and supporting their families.”

We 🖤 Our Readership – Big News Coming Soon, Stay Tuend!

Federal immigration agents carried out coordinated raids at multiple locations in Los Angeles on Friday, detaining dozens of people and prompting large protests that led to tense confrontations with riot police. The operations – conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents alongside Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) officers and other federal partners – targeted at least three sites across the city, including workplaces suspected of harboring undocumented immigrants. An ICE spokesperson, Yasmeen Pitts O’Keefe, said agents “executed four federal search warrants at three locations in central Los Angeles” and “approximately 44 people were administratively arrested”, with one additional arrest for obstruction during the enforcement action, as reported by CBS News.

Raids Locations: The immigration sweeps unfolded Friday morning at several businesses and areas in Los Angeles:

Westlake District (Central L.A.): Agents descended on a Home Depot store on Wilshire Boulevard in Westlake, where witnesses reported seeing Department of Homeland Security agents escorting men and women in handcuffs out of the parking lot according to ABC7 News. Some of those detained were street food vendors who frequent the area, according to an eyewitness interviewed by ABC7. “We’re a little scared,” the witness said in Spanish, describing the sudden roundup. – Advertisement –

Fashion District (Downtown): A clothing wholesaler, identified by local media as Ambiance Apparel on Towne Avenue, was raided by federal agents around midday as reported by cbsnews.com. Employees inside the business were detained, and a crowd of onlookers and relatives quickly gathered outside as the raid took place. Chaos erupted at this scene when some protesters confronted the agents – authorities reportedly used flash-bang grenades and pepper spray to disperse the crowd around 1:30 p.m. as tensions flared. Service Employees International Union-United Service Workers West (SEIU-USWW) had members at this site; the union’s president was present as an observer and became caught up in the crackdown (details below).

South Los Angeles (Santa Fe Avenue): Another enforcement operation unfolded at a warehouse facility associated with the same apparel company, near East 15th Street and Santa Fe Avenue in South L.A. Neighbors reported seeing federal agents, including some wearing FBI jackets, at that location as well. Crowds also formed here in response, though information on this site’s arrests remains part of the ongoing investigation.

Local reports indicated immigration enforcement activity may have extended to other neighborhoods as well. CALÓ News, a Latino-focused outlet, reported that “about 45 people were detained in seven locations throughout Los Angeles including Westlake, Pico-Union, Cypress Park and L.A.’s Fashion District”, suggesting the sweep was citywide. These figures are in line with the official count of 44 administrative arrests, as advocacy groups like the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) similarly estimated at least 45 people taken into custody. ICE has not released a full list of locations, but confirmed the operations were part of a broader federal initiative.

Targets and Tactics: Federal authorities said the raids were aimed at businesses suspected of employing or harboring people who are in the country illegally. “ICE officers and agents alongside partner law enforcement agencies” carried out the actions pursuant to lawful warrants, ICE spokesperson O’Keefe noted in comments to news outlets. Bill Essayli, the U.S. Attorney for the region, told NBC Los Angeles that his office prepared search warrants for particular businesses where there’s probable cause that they are using fictitious documents to employ people. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) also characterized the crackdown as a return to tougher enforcement. “ICE is now following the law and placing these illegal aliens in expedited removal, as they always should have been,” a senior DHS spokesperson said in a statement Friday, adding that those without valid legal claims would face “swift deportation”.

The Federal Government multi-agency raids were carried out with heavy military-like tactical presence. At the Westlake Home Depot, unmarked urban combat-style vans and camouflaged agents with rifles were seen as detainees were loaded up. “They showed up with assault rifles… in far more numbers than they needed to,” San Diego City Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera said of a similar ICE operation in his city, reflecting concern that federal agents deliberately used overwhelming force to intimidate communities. In Los Angeles, witnesses described agents even chasing people down the street in some instances, contributing to what L.A. Mayor Karen Bass called “mass chaos” (more below).

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jacqueline (@jackie.gar.cia)

Union Leader Arrested and Injured

Among those detained in Friday’s raids was a prominent labor leader, sparking additional outrage from officials and activists. SEIU-USWW President David Huerta was taken into custody during the operation at the Fashion District clothing company, where many union janitorial and service workers are employed. The union said Huerta was present as an observer, part of a “rapid response” team to monitor ICE actions, when a confrontation occurred between federal agents and community members. In the brief scuffle, agents forced Huerta to the ground – “federal agents got on top of him to detain him”, Mayor Bass said – causing him to hit his head. Huerta was injured and taken to Los Angeles General Hospital for treatment, then discharged and transported to the Metropolitan Detention Center downtown, according to an SEIU statement.

Huerta’s arrest drew swift condemnation from local leaders and questions about the justification. The union president was not a target of the immigration warrants, colleagues say, but rather attempting to protect workers’ rights during the raid. “What happened to me is not about me; this is about something much bigger,” Huerta said in a statement after his detention. “Hard-working people, and members of our family and our community, are being treated like criminals… This is not justice. This is injustice. And we all have to stand on the right side of justice.”

Federal authorities have defended Huerta’s arrest as lawful. “Federal agents were executing a lawful judicial warrant at a LA worksite this morning when David Huerta deliberately obstructed their access by blocking their vehicle,” U.S. Attorney Essayli wrote on social media, adding that Huerta “was arrested for interfering with federal officers and will face arraignment in federal court on Monday.” Huerta could potentially be charged with a federal offense for impeding agents. Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn, however, argued that Huerta was “wrongfully detained” simply for observing, and she called for “his immediate release” in an emphatic statement Friday.

Protests Erupt and Turn Chaotic

News of the raids spread quickly through immigrant communities on Friday, and by afternoon, active protests were spawned across the city. Thousands of demonstrators mobilized in downtown Los Angeles, many carrying signs and shouting their anger against ICE’s actions. Around 4 p.m., a large crowd rallied outside the federal Edward R. Roybal Federal Building, demanding the release of those detained and denouncing the crackdown. “Our community is under attack and is being terrorized,” CHIRLA Executive Director Angélica Salas told the gathering, urging solidarity. “These are workers, these are fathers, these are mothers… and this has to stop. Immigration enforcement that is terrorizing our families… must stop now,” as broadcasted on local TV news coverage. Protesters also specifically pleaded for David Huerta’s release, as many labor activists joined the demonstrations.

By early evening, groups of protesters began marching through downtown streets, at one point blocking traffic on Aliso Street near the U.S. 101 Freeway. Some demonstrators vented their anger on federal property: graffiti reading “Stop Deportations” and other slogans was sprayed on the side of the Metropolitan Detention Center, the facility where many detainees were held, as reported by cbsnews.com. Tensions escalated as the sun set. Protesters confronted federal agents near a parking lot in Chinatown around 10 p.m., after dozens of agents staged there (reportedly to regroup as part of the operation). Video from ABC7’s helicopter showed unmarked vehicles and armed agents forming a perimeter as an animated crowd pressed in. At one downtown location, a crowd even tried to prevent ICE transport vans from leaving by physically blocking their path; at least one person tripped and was nearly run over as others threw objects at the vehicles.

Los Angeles police officers were initially standing-by monitoring the demonstrations, but as clashes intensified, the situation turned into a full-blown standoff. By about 7 p.m., the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) declared an unlawful assembly outside the federal building, citing safety concerns. Police ordered the roughly 200 remaining protesters to disperse and began forming skirmish lines in riot gear. Some protesters refused to leave, shouting at officers, and some people in the crowd hurled projectiles. According to an LAPD statement, individuals were seen throwing “large pieces of concrete” at law enforcement. In response, riot police deployed crowd-control weapons: officers fired volleys of tear gas and pepper spray, and also shot foam baton rounds and bean bag projectiles toward demonstrators. Loud “flash-bang” stun grenades exploded, startling both protesters and bystanders as smoke filled the downtown streets.

The confrontation outside the detention center was intense but relatively brief. By 8 p.m., the crowd began to thin out as lines of police advanced and pushed protesters away from the facility’s entrancecbsnews.com. Several downtown streets were temporarily closed and traffic was disrupted, including near freeway on-ramps, during the meleecbsnews.com. It was “an extraordinary scene in a major American city,” described one local report, as what resembled military convoys faced off against outraged residents on familiar streetspatch.compatch.com. Despite the chaos, authorities have not reported any serious injuries from the clashes. It was not immediately clear if any protesters were arrested during the confrontation; police did not announce any arrest numbers from the dispersal as of late Friday nightreuters.com.

Mayor Bass and Governor Newsom Condemn “Terror” Tactics

Friday’s raids and the ensuing unrest drew fierce backlash from California officials, who said they were blindsided by the federal action. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said neither she nor the LAPD received any advance notice from ICE about the operations. “Frankly, I’m just outraged,” Bass told ABC7, describing how immigration agents “went in, they just took people away… and it happened at multiple places in the city” with no warning to local authorities. Bass, who took office pledging to support L.A.’s immigrant communities, blasted the raids as unacceptable. “As mayor of a proud city of immigrants… I am deeply angered by what has taken place,” she said in a statement on social media. “These tactics sow terror in our communities and disrupt basic principles of safety in our city. My Office is in close coordination with immigrant rights [organizations]. We will not stand for this.”

Bass noted that past ICE activity in Los Angeles tended to involve targeted arrests of specific individuals, whereas Friday’s sweeps felt vastly different in scale. “This was just mass chaos,” she said, “It sows a sense of terror… and a sense of chaos in our city, and it’s just unacceptable.”. The mayor even visited the Ambiance Apparel company’s headquarters on Friday to meet with affected workers, and she affirmed that city resources would be directed to assist families of those detained. Later in the evening, Bass engaged in a terse exchange on X (Twitter) with at least one Trump administration official who defended the raids, underscoring the political divide over the issue.

California Governor Gavin Newsom also weighed in forcefully. In a statement Friday, Newsom said “continued chaotic federal sweeps, across California, to meet an arbitrary arrest quota are as reckless as they are cruel”. He directly accused President Donald Trump’s administration of instilling fear: “Donald Trump’s chaos is eroding trust, tearing families apart, and undermining the workers and industries that power America’s economy.” The governor added that state officials would explore responses to protect residents, and he commended local authorities like the LAPD for not cooperating in the raids. (Both the Los Angeles Police Department and the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department reiterated Friday that they do not participate in civil immigration enforcement. “The LAPD is not involved in civil immigration enforcement,” Chief Jim McDonnell emphasized, noting the department’s focus is on community safety, not federal immigration law. Sheriff Robert Luna similarly stated his deputies would “not enforce civil immigration law” and are dedicated only to local public safety matters.

Other elected leaders joined the chorus of criticism. U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) condemned the L.A. raids as part of “a disturbing pattern of extreme and cruel immigration enforcement operations across the country.” He said in a statement, “These indiscriminate raids prove once again that the Trump administration cares about nothing but instilling harm and fear in our communities… It will not work.” Padilla vowed to seek federal accountability for what transpired. L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn, in whose district many of the raids occurred, called the scenes “chilling.” “They aren’t targeting violent criminals – they are sweeping up hardworking people in our communities just trying to provide for their families,” Hahn said, adding that agents appeared “armed to the teeth” with the goal of spreading fear. Fellow Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath denounced the actions as “acts of cruelty and bigotry, targeting our immigrant neighbors and tearing families apart”, and echoed that the county “will not be intimidated” by such tactics.

Federal immigration officials, for their part, defended the necessity of the operations under law. While ICE’s national headquarters did not immediately issue a public comment specific to Los Angeles (a spokesperson said the agency was still compiling information on the raids), the Department of Homeland Security signaled that more actions could come. The FBI’s Los Angeles office confirmed it provided support to DHS during Friday’s sweeps and related operations “all across the country.” “As we have been asked to do, we are sending agents to participate in these immigration enforcement efforts,” the FBI said in a statement, noting that special agents are embedded with DHS teams in cities where major operations are underway. The aim of Friday’s raids, according to DHS and Justice Department officials, was to enforce existing immigration laws that they contend were too lax in recent years. “My priority is enforcing the law, as opposed to just sending out hordes of ICE agents wherever,” Essayli said, explaining that the focus was on locations exploiting undocumented labor rather than random street sweeps.

Community Outrage and Calls for Investigation

Immigrant-rights organizations and community groups are mobilizing in the wake of the raids, calling for transparency and humanitarian treatment of those detained. CHIRLA’s Angélica Salas, who spoke at Friday’s protest, urged state and local leaders to provide legal support for affected families and to push back against federal pressure. Activists pointed out that some immigrants were detained under unusual circumstances – earlier on Friday, attorneys reported that several individuals attending routine ICE check-in appointments at the federal building were unexpectedly taken into custody and held in basement rooms overnight, without beds or sufficient food. The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), a national Latino civil rights group, has called for an investigation after reports surfaced that ICE agents in Los Angeles had detained entire families at the federal facility downtown. LULAC shared images on social media purportedly showing small children and parents held by authorities, claiming the practice violates federal guidelines; the group is urging Congress to look into the matter. (ICE has not confirmed those specific reports. A DHS spokesperson said individuals with valid asylum or relief claims will have an opportunity to make them before an immigration judge, but those “with no valid claim” will be deported swiftly under expedited procedures.)

Local civil liberties organizations, including the ACLU of Southern California and immigrant legal aid clinics, have also stepped in. Volunteer lawyers set up a hotline for family members of detainees, offering to help verify the location of loved ones swept up on Friday. By Friday night, the Mexican Consulate in Los Angeles reported it had identified at least 11 Mexican nationals among those arrested. “The detention center seems to be at full capacity… Every cell seems occupied,” said Consul General Carlos González Gutiérrez, noting that consular staff were monitoring detention conditions and ensuring detainees’ rights are respected. Community groups are planning additional rallies over the weekend and have organized “know your rights” workshops in neighborhoods with large immigrant populations.

South Pasadena Response

South Pasadena, a smaller city just northeast of Los Angeles, was not directly targeted in these ICE operations. As of Friday evening, there were no reports of immigration raids or detentions in South Pasadena, and no protests had been confirmed locally. City officials in South Pasadena had not issued any formal statements specific to the June 6 raids at press time. The South Pasadena Police Department likewise reported no ICE activity in its jurisdiction on Friday, though authorities and residents were closely watching the events unfolding in Los Angeles. South Pasadena is part of the broader Los Angeles region and home to many families with immigrant roots, so the news of the raids generated concern and conversation in the community. Local organizations and school leaders have in the past declared support for immigrant students and families; on Friday they reminded the public that “Know Your Rights” resources are available and that schools and city facilities in South Pasadena remain safe zones. Apart from monitoring the situation, South Pasadena’s community response remained largely one of solidarity and vigilance, without any specific incidents of its own to report.

Part of a National Immigration Crackdown

Friday’s dramatic events in Los Angeles did not occur in isolation – they are part of a broader escalation of federal immigration enforcement under President Trump’s administration in 2025. The sweeps in L.A. were “the latest in a series of such sweeps conducted in a number of cities” as President Donald Trump pursues an aggressive campaign promise to crack down on undocumented immigration. The Republican president has vowed to arrest and deport undocumented migrants in record numbers, and in recent weeks ICE has conducted high-profile raids in several states. Over the past few days alone, similar scenes played out from Minneapolis to Chicago to San Diego, where ICE agents have faced public pushback and protests during mass arrest operations. In San Diego last week, agents in tactical gear raided a popular restaurant and used smoke devices and flash-bangs to disperse an angry crowd that surrounded their vehicles. These tactics – including the use of masked, heavily armed teams – have drawn rebukes from local officials across the country, who argue that such shows of force sow panic in communities.

Trump administration officials defend the stepped-up measures as necessary to enforce laws that they say were not rigorously upheld by the previous administration. ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons noted in a press conference that agents have begun wearing masks during operations for safety, citing incidents of officers being harassed or threatened online. “I’m sorry if people are offended by them wearing masks, but I’m not going to let my officers… put their lives on the line” due to doxxing and personal threats, Lyons said to wuft.org. The administration has also revived hardline policies such as expanded expedited removal, meaning many immigrants arrested without documentation may be deported without lengthy court proceedings if they cannot immediately prove legal status or a credible fear of persecution.

Los Angeles leadership has styled the city as a “sanctuary” jurisdiction in past years, limiting cooperation with ICE. The current wave of actions puts that stance to the test, as federal officers bypass local law enforcement to carry out operations directly. Going forward, the fallout from the L.A. raids is likely to echo beyond Southern California. Elected officials from California are calling on the Biden administration’s Justice Department (note: Biden was succeeded by Trump in January) to review whether federal agents exceeded their authority or violated any protocols during these sweeps. Meanwhile, immigrant communities in South Pasadena, Pasadena, San Marino, Alhambra and across the region remain on edge. As Friday’s tumult quieted, Mayor Bass vowed that Los Angeles “will not stand for this” heavy-handed approach, and Governor Newsom urged all Californians to “not be intimidated” by what he labeled political fear-mongering.

Real families have been subjected to the heavy-handed federal military-style operation, and L.A.’s principles of inclusion and safety are put to the test. This unprecedented, ‘shock-and-awe’, urban-attack style federal dragnet operation has left most citizens of the Los Angeles area with fear, anger, and dread.

Alleged members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua recently deported by the U.S. government, March 16, 2025. Secretaria de Prensa de la Presidencia/Handout via REUTERS License this content on Reuters Connect , opens new tab

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tab

Kylie Maclellan Thomson Reuters Kylie is the Deputy Live Pages Editor, helping showcase Reuters multimedia coverage of the biggest global stories. She previously worked on the UK Breaking News team, and spent eight years in Westminster as a UK political correspondent – a period which included the Scottish independence referendum, Brexit and several general elections. She joined Reuters as a graduate trainee in 2008 and has also covered investment banking.

Vanessa Balintec Thomson Reuters Vanessa Balintec is a Live Page Journalist based in Toronto, Ontario. She helps create and curate multimedia posts for Reuters’ Live Pages — a scrolling feed of multimedia posts for some of the biggest stories of the day. She previously worked at various bureaus for CBC News. Contact: vanessa.balintec@thomsonreuters.com