Los Angeles house ransacked during ICE immigration raid
A Los Angeles family is left with a ransacked home after one of the latest ICE immigration raids in the Pico Union neighborhood Friday.
Marisela, who lives in the home, said the raid happened in an instant. Within moments, agents broke the lock to their rear gate, surrounded the house and knocked down the doors before searching the home. Amid the chaos, they damaged the walls and took away her son's 18-year-old friend for failing to appear in his immigration court hearing.
Marisela said the teen did not have a criminal background.
"The landlord is saying there is no tenant that has existed with that name here," Vladimir Carasco said. "This family didn't have to answer the door. There are the tactics we're seeing of CBP."
Carasco works for CHIRLA, the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights.
"ICE and CBP are only targeting people by name and if it's not your name and judge with a signature on it, just keep walking," he said.
Two other raids happened nearby on Mountain View Avenue and the intersection of 41st Street and Avalon Boulevard. Homeland Security Agents detained at least one woman.
"What I've been seeing is that the community is very scared, but they are becoming aware of their legal rights in the U.S.," immigration attorney Yanci Montes said.
Montes urged residents to know their rights.
"They have the right to remain silent," she said. "They don't have to speak to an officer. "The other right is the Fourth Amendment right. They have the right to not be searched or have them enter their home."
Officers from the Los Angeles Police Department were present during the 41st and Avalon operation. Mayor Karen Bass' office said they were there serving a criminal warrant for a suspect wanted for human trafficking.
"The City of LA, including LAPD, does not assist ICE or any federal agency in carrying out civil immigration enforcement and has not for decades under Special Order 40," spokesperson Zach Seidl said. "No one should live in fear due to their immigration status and Los Angeles will continue to stand together."
LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said officers helped Homeland Security with traffic control during the human trafficking arrest.
"I want to be absolutely clear: the LAPD does not participate in civil immigration enforcement," McDonnell stated. "This has been the department's policy since 1979, and it remains unchanged today."
An ICE spokesperson said they could not provide more information about the operation.
"Due to our operational tempo and the increased interest in our agency, we are not able to research and respond to rumors or specifics of routine daily operations," the spokesperson said in a statement.
