The Department of Homeland Security is sticking to their guns. ICE is carrying out the Trump national security plans.
And the White House’s latest deportation news has left Democrats defeated with nothing left to say.
Trump Administration’s ICE Raids in Los Angeles Spark Deportations and Protests
The Trump administration’s renewed focus on immigration enforcement has led to a series of high-profile raids by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Los Angeles, with some illegal immigrants already deported. The operations, which began on Friday, have stirred significant reaction, including protests and legal challenges, as the administration seeks to address immigration violations in sanctuary cities like Los Angeles.
Mexican Foreign Affairs Minister Juan Ramón de la Fuente confirmed that two individuals detained in the raids were deported to Mexico after receiving final deportation orders. Additionally, two others opted for voluntary departure, according to the Washington Post. For some, the process was swift. The parents of one deported immigrant noted that the deportation occurred so quickly they couldn’t secure legal representation for their son.
The exact scope of the raids remains unclear, as the Trump administration has not disclosed the total number of detentions. However, the Department of Homeland Security provided details on 16 detained illegal immigrants, highlighting their criminal histories, which included charges or convictions for offenses like robbery, s*xual battery, and drug possession.
Immigrant advocacy groups, however, have challenged the narrative surrounding the detainees. They report collecting data indicating that over 200 individuals were detained, many of whom, they claim, have no criminal records. This discrepancy has fueled debate over the nature and intent of the raids.
The raids mark a return to workplace immigration enforcement, a practice the Biden administration had largely halted. The Trump administration’s decision to resume these operations reflects a commitment to stricter immigration policies, particularly in areas known for resisting federal enforcement efforts.
One notable raid targeted Ambiance Apparel in Los Angeles, where more than a dozen illegal immigrants were detained, according to attorney Elaina Jung Hee Vermeulen. Federal agents were executing a criminal investigation, serving a search warrant related to fraudulent employee documentation, as explained by U.S. Attorney Bilal “Bill” Essayli.
White House “border czar” Tom Homan clarified that the operation in Los Angeles’ Fashion District was not solely an immigration raid. “This wasn’t an immigration raid,” Homan stated, emphasizing that authorities were pursuing “criminal warrants” tied to investigations into money laundering, tax evasion, and customs fraud.
Despite this, the raids primarily targeted predominantly Latino communities, including Paramount, Huntington Park, and Whittier, as reported by the Los Angeles Times. This focus has drawn criticism from local advocates and officials who argue the operations disproportionately affect specific ethnic groups.
Homan addressed concerns about the detainees’ profiles, acknowledging that not all those arrested had criminal records. “We’re going to enforce immigration law,” he said, “especially in sanctuary cities.” His comments reflect the administration’s determination to prioritize immigration enforcement in jurisdictions that have historically resisted such efforts.
The raids have sparked significant unrest in Los Angeles. On Monday, protests in the city’s downtown area led to 113 arrests, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Ninety-six individuals were arrested for failure to disperse, with additional arrests for suspected assault with a deadly weapon, resisting arrest, and vandalism.
The protests also saw acts of looting, with 14 arrests reported in connection to several businesses being targeted. Two LAPD officers were injured during the demonstrations and received treatment at a local hospital, though authorities did not provide details on the nature or severity of their injuries.
To manage the crowds, LAPD officers deployed “numerous” less-than-lethal rounds, eventually dispersing the protesters by 3 a.m. Tuesday. The scale of the protests emphasizes the deep community tensions surrounding the federal immigration enforcement actions.
Meanwhile, California state officials have pushed back against the Trump administration’s tactics. On Tuesday, attorneys for the state requested an emergency order from a federal judge to block the use of California’s National Guard in assisting with immigration enforcement. The request followed Governor Gavin Newsom’s lawsuit against President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, challenging their decision to federalize the state’s National Guard to support federal responses to protests in Los Angeles.
The state’s filing, led by California Attorney General Bob Bonta, argued that the Trump administration’s actions were causing significant harm. “Federal antagonization, through the presence of soldiers in the streets, has already caused real and irreparable damage to the City of Los Angeles, the people who live there, and the State of California,” the filing stated. “They must be stopped, immediately.” The attorneys clarified that their request did not aim to prevent the National Guard from protecting federal property or personnel.
The legal challenge has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Charles R. Breyer in San Francisco, who has yet to rule on the emergency request. The outcome of this case could have significant implications for the Trump administration’s ability to leverage state resources in its immigration enforcement efforts, particularly in states like California that have historically opposed such measures.
