7 people arrested during immigration raid at car wash in Long Beach, DHS says
Seven people were arrested during an immigration raid at a car wash in the Bixby Knolls neighborhood of Long Beach on Saturday, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security says.
Humerto Ramirez was getting his car washed at Bixby Knolls Car Wash with his wife when the raid took place. He said about 10 unmarked cars pulled up and blocked the exit.
In a statement to CBS Los Angeles, DHS confirmed that U.S. Border Patrol conducted a "targeted immigration enforcement operation in Long Beach," where seven individuals were arrested. DHS also confirmed that the individuals were from El Salvador, Guatemala and Mexico.
General manager Ramon Paz said several employees were arrested during the incident. He explained it was very difficult to watch and described the employees as hard workers. Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson said he was aware of the raid and is reaching out to the employees to connect them with resources.
The immigration raids taking place across the Southern California region have increased fear in communities. As a result, the city of Long Beach has decided to cancel this year's Dia de Los Muertos parade. The event, usually held at the beginning of November, is a popular event in the community.
Councilwoman Mary Zendejas said even though they have no information about immigration enforcement targeting the event, they decided to cancel it out of an abundance of caution. The budget for the parade will be rolled over for next year.
