A series of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids ignited widespread protests, confrontations and scenes of chaos as federal agents detained at least 44 individuals across Los Angeles on Friday.
Protesters swarmed the streets, some jumping in front of law enforcement vehicles, as KTLA captured the escalating tensions from both the air and ground through the day and night.
Agents moved in on at least three locations throughout the day. One of the most visible confrontations took place outside a Home Depot in the Westlake District, where day laborers often gather for temporary work.
ICE agents in riot gear were seen clashing with and chasing people through the parking lot as stunned shoppers looked on.
Another raid unfolded at a clothing store on Towne Avenue in the Fashion District. Several workers were taken into custody in handcuffs and loaded into waiting vans. Outside, other agents in tactical gear engaged in tense standoffs with onlookers and activists, some of whom used megaphones to urge garment workers not to sign documents or speak with federal agents.
Later in the evening, flash-bang grenades and tear gas filled the air as Los Angeles Police Department officers responded to mounting unrest in the Civic Center area.
At 7:51 p.m., LAPD Central Division declared an unlawful assembly at Alameda and Temple streets, warning that those who failed to leave would be subject to arrest.
Minutes later, the department reported that a group of violent individuals was throwing large pieces of concrete. Officers were authorized to use less-lethal munitions to disperse the crowd.
By 8:24 p.m., the LAPD issued a citywide tactical alert, requiring all officers to remain on duty.
A traffic advisory was also issued: Alameda Street was closed between Aliso and 1st streets, with detours recommended via Los Angeles, Main, or Spring streets. East-west traffic was rerouted to 1st Street.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), a division of ICE, confirmed that agents executed four federal search warrants with partner agencies, including the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
“Approximately 44 people were administratively arrested and one arrest for obstruction,” an HSI spokesperson said. “The investigation remains ongoing, updates will follow as appropriate.”
That single obstruction arrest was confirmed by US Attorney Bill Essayli as David Huerta, president of the California branch of the Service Employees International Union.
Essayli posted an image of the union leader handcuffed and placed in the back of a vehicle. Video of the purported incident that led to his arrest was also posted. It showed Huerta briefly standing near the front of an unmarked white SUV that was used in the operation before being pushed out of the way by a federal agent.
He is seen falling to the ground with several agents around him before he is presumably taken into custody while protesters and agents exchange shoves.
The arrest of Huerta, who union members said was also injured, was condemned by California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who called Huerta a “respected leader, a patriot, and an advocate for working people.”
“No one should ever be harmed for witnessing government action,” Newsom added.
In a news release issued Friday evening, SEIU California said Huerta was treated at a local hospital for injuries he suffered during his arrest, but currently remains in federal custody.
He made the following statement through the union:
“What happened to me is not about me; This is about something much bigger. This is about how we as a community stand together and resist the injustice that’s happening. Hard-working people, and members of our family and our community, are being treated like criminals. We all collectively have to object to this madness because this is not justice. This is injustice. And we all have to stand on the right side of justice.”
Chris Wolfe, Travis Schlepp and Cameron Kiszla contributed to this report.
