MONTEBELLO, Calif. — A wave of immigration raids swept through Southern California on Wednesday, leaving both workers and local residents feeling anxious and unsettled.
Civil rights organizations reported that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted at least 20 operations, spanning from East Los Angeles to downtown areas. One notable raid in Montebello was caught on surveillance camera.
The footage from Montebello reveals an unmarked vehicle arriving at a location, from which ICE agents quickly emerge to encircle a residence. In a matter of seconds, one agent climbs a ladder to access the roof. Caught off guard, construction workers on the rooftop scramble, leaping from one roof to another in their attempt to evade capture. Fortunately, no arrests were made.
“They were genuinely terrified — fearing for their lives without understanding what was unfolding,” explained Manny, a contractor who employed the workers.
Upon hearing about the incident, Manny hurried to the site, where he found his crew visibly shaken and apprehensive.
“We gathered together, and I offered a prayer for all of them, seeking their safety and that they might find peace during this challenging situation,” he shared.
Manny said this doesn’t just affect the people ICE targets – it affects everyone trying to work and survive.
“Some people are scared to come back to work,” he said. “They’re just a little (shaken up) and they just don’t want to experience that again.”
Civil rights groups said Wednesday’s operation in Montebello was one of many taking place throughout the region.
Videos from Little Tokyo in downtown L.A., Commerce and Pico Rivera showed agents confronting and detaining people in public areas.
“They’re using brutal violence against an unarmed, civilian population to impose their political will,” said Ron Gochez of Union del Barrio. “Things are escalating and so for us, we know we have to continue our work, we have to continue organizing, we have to continue defending our community.”
Gochez pointed to a new California law requiring ICE agents not to wear face coverings, but he said it’s not being enforced.
“They don’t have to abide by state law or local ordinance, and so to pass these meaningless bills into law here in California when these are federal agents who don’t have to listen to them, it’s really a waste of our time,” he said.
Meanwhile, in cities like Montebello, neighbors said they’re thinking twice before leaving their homes.
Eyewitness News reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for an exact number of operations conducted in Southern California Wednesday and whether the people targeted had criminal backgrounds. Eyewitness News has not heard back.
Copyright © 2026 KABC Television, LLC. All rights reserved.
