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A series of surprise raids by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in downtown Los Angeles sparked protests from hundreds of people who gathered in front of the city's federal building, denouncing the actions as "cruel and unnecessary" against the immigrant community.
In a series of videos circulating on social media, federal agents and protesters engaged in violent clashes.
Forty-four people were administratively arrested, and one for obstruction during Friday's immigration action, stated Yasmeen Pitts O’Keefe, spokesperson for Homeland Security Investigations, a branch of ICE.
Federal agents executed 4 search warrants related to allegedly harboring people without permission to reside in the country in 3 locations in downtown Los Angeles, he added.
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The most striking raid was undoubtedly the one carried out at the Ambiance Apparel clothing factory in the Fashion District, where officers arrived looking for people working with false documents. It was the federal prosecutor, recently appointed by Trump, Bill Essayli, who authorized the search warrant.
ICE agents, dressed as military personnel and armed with rifles, arrived aboard armored cars and tanks, at two Home Depot stores, one on Wilshire and Union streets, and another in Cypress Park, where day laborers usually look for work.
The Mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass stated in a press release that she was deeply outraged by the raids in multiple locations in Los Angeles. “These tactics sow terror in our communities and disrupt the basic principles of safety in our city. My office is in close coordination with community organizations that defend the rights of immigrants. We will not tolerate this,” she noted.
