LOS ANGELES (KTLA) – Since taking power, officials in the Trump administration have followed through on the promise of immigration enforcement raids in major U.S. cities and now new reporting from the Los Angeles Times suggests that L.A. is next in the federal government’s crosshairs.
As pro-immigration advocates, students and others continue to demonstrate against planned mass deportations by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, many local nonprofits are working with undocumented residents to ensure they know their rights if federal agents show up at their homes, schools or places of work.
In a leaked document reviewed by The Times, federal law enforcement agents reportedly intend to “carry out a ‘large scale’ immigration enforcement action in the Los Angeles area before the end of February.”
Compared to other large cities like Chicago and Denver, L.A. has so far been spared any sweeping immigration operations, though a federal law enforcement source who spoke with The Times said that agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration are being enlisted to assist with the impending enforcement raids here due to the size of the operation.
Advocates for undocumented residents in the city say immigrant communities are scared.
“We’re seeing workers not reporting to work and we’re seeing students too afraid to show up to school,” Henry Perez, a nonprofit organizer, told KTLA’s Rache Menitoff.
Perez, who did not want to name the organization he works with because of the current political climate, said he has been working to facilitate peaceful student demonstrations downtown.
“It’s unfortunate that the Trump administration is willing to do that, impact the economy, impact the education of our community with these largely publicized raids,” he added.
Asked about the status of ICE raids in major cities, Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, said the results have been positive but that he wants more.
“The numbers are good but not good enough,” he commented. “We got to get more.”
Raids in other cities have primarily focused on undocumented immigrants with criminal background, though according to The Times reporting, the operation in L.A. is expected to include those who simply do not have legal status or those with an already pending removal order.
Local officials with LULAC, the League of Latin American Citizens, told KTLA that they have been expecting a large enforcement action. The only question, they said, was when it would happen.
Now, they are trying to ready immigrant communities for what appears to be coming.
“We’ve seen reports across the nation that people who know their rights are actually a lot better off when it comes to these circumstances and ICE agents will more than likely leave them alone after an interaction,” National VP for Far West LULAC, Jose Barrera, said.
