Masked and armed federal agents conducted extensive immigration raids in Los Angeles yesterday, while others apprehended migrants at a courthouse in New York, showcasing US President Donald Trump’s aggressive stance on undocumented individuals.
From courthouses to parking lots of hardware stores in two of the most diverse cities globally, federal agents forcibly detained migrants and placed them into unmarked vehicles.
Employing extreme measures, agents carried out unprecedented raids in at least three locations throughout Los Angeles, leading to the detention of dozens.
During one operation, less than two miles from Los Angeles City Hall, agents deployed flash-bang grenades to disperse angry crowds trailing a convoy of ICE vehicles, as protesters threw eggs and insults at the agents, according to media reports.
“These tactics instill fear in our communities and disrupt fundamental safety principles in our city.”
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, a product of LA’s Santa Monica area, took to X to assert that Ms. Bass had “no say in this whatsoever.”
“Federal law is supreme, and federal law will be enforced.”
Among those briefly detained in Los Angeles was Service Employees International Union leader David Huerta.
Protesters gathered outside the Federal Building in downtown Los Angeles in response to the ICE raids in the city.
“Hard-working individuals, along with our family members and community members, are being treated as criminals,” Mr. Huerta remarked in a statement following his release.
Yasmeen Pitts O’Keefe, a spokesperson for Homeland Security Investigations, informed the Los Angeles Times that federal agents were executing search warrants linked to the harboring of individuals illegally residing in the country.
As sunset approached in Los Angeles, broadcaster ABC7 reported an escalating standoff, with hundreds of protesters marching downtown to demand the release of detainees, as police officers in riot gear instructed them to disperse.
Watch: Protesters clash with police in LA following ICE raids
Arrests in New York courthouse
In New York, US agents in plainclothes apprehended two immigrants in the hallway of a courthouse.
Officers were seen shouting at the men not to move before forcing them to lay face-down on the floor as they were cuffed and arrested.
Details regarding the reasons for the arrests of these two individuals were not immediately available.
Mr. Trump was re-elected with significant backing for his vow to enforce strict measures against undocumented migrants.
In recent weeks, ICE agents have intensified operations in and around American immigration courts.
Following Mr. Trump’s return to power in January, the Department of Homeland Security rescinded regulations that limited agents’ access to sensitive areas such as courts.
One of the detainees in New York, a 34-year-old Dominican named Joaquin Rosario, arrived in the US a year ago, registered upon entry, and had his first immigration hearing on the day of his arrest, according to his relative, Julian Rosario.
A man is detained by plainclothes immigration officers at a courthouse in New York.
“He was relaxed. He didn’t think anything would happen,” the relative noted, adding that Rosario was so unconcerned that he had not brought his lawyer with him.
The other detainee was accompanied only by a volunteer from an immigration advocacy group who assists immigrants in navigating the court system.
As the agents arrested the two men, the volunteers shouted out, but it did nothing to stop the operation.
Human rights organizations have expressed outrage over these actions, arguing that they undermine trust in the judicial system and discourage immigrants from attending appointments while seeking US residency.
“These actions are akin to illegal abductions,” stated Karen Ortiz, a court employee demonstrating against the sudden arrests of migrants.
“We need to raise awareness about the gravity of this situation, and one method to do that is to physically position ourselves between a masked ICE agent and someone they intend to detain and deport,” she emphasized.
Since his return to power, Donald Trump has substantially tested the boundaries of executive authority to enforce crackdowns on undocumented foreigners, maintaining that the US is facing an invasion of criminals and other unwanted elements.
