A federal immigration enforcement operation unfolded early Wednesday morning outside a Home Depot in Hollywood, where more than a dozen people were reportedly taken into custody by agents believed to be with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The incident happened at the Home Depot on Sunset Boulevard. Cell phone videos show a heavy police presence, with witnesses capturing scenes of people being detained in what officials later described as a “routine federal immigration law enforcement operation.”
Witnesses told KTLA that several unmarked SUVs arrived around 7:45 a.m., and agents quickly moved in on the people gathered outside the store. One man said he saw ICE agents tackle a person to the ground without warning, pressing his face into the dirt before taking him into custody.
At least one of those detained was a pregnant woman, according to her husband, who remained at the scene, visibly emotional. He said his wife, a local street vendor, works outside the Home Depot daily and was swept up in the raid.
Neighbors also told KTLA that others taken into custody were longtime community members with no known criminal records.
“This is heartbreaking,” one resident said. “They’re taking people who help build California — good people, not criminals.”
Federal officials issued a general statement in response, saying that while they do not comment on specific ongoing operations, immigration enforcement actions take place regularly and are part of broader efforts to uphold U.S. immigration law.
They also warned that interfering with federal agents during such operations can result in felony charges, regardless of a person’s citizenship status.
This morning’s action in Hollywood follows a similar operation at another Home Depot location in Sylmar, part of what appears to be a coordinated series of immigration sweeps across Southern California this week.
