ICE raids continue in Hollywood, San Fernando areas in Los Angeles

FILE PHOTO (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

LOS ANGELES – Immigration raids continued to roil Southern California Thursday, with the latest actions targeting Home Depot stores in the Hollywood and San Fernando areas and a car wash in Glendale — plus a federal presence outside Dodger Stadium that drew a crowd of protesters and later a denial by ICE that its agents were, in fact, at the ballpark.

Thursday’s actions followed raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Pasadena on Wednesday and in Pico Rivera on Tuesday, with the Pasadena actions drawing protests in that city and sharp criticism from Rep. Judy Chu (D-Pasadena).

It was not immediately clear how many people were rounded up Thursday during the  raids.

ICE agents reportedly were also spotted outside Dodger Stadium, apparently in an effort to use the ballpark’s parking lot as a staging area.

According to a team statement posted on X, “This morning, ICE agents came to Dodger Stadium and requested permission to access the parking lots. They were denied entry to the grounds by the organization. Tonight’s game will be played as scheduled.”

However, ICE later posted a reply on X, saying, “False. We were never there.”

In addition, the US Homeland Security department said on X, “This had nothing to do with the Dodgers. CBP (Customs and Border Patrol) vehicles were in the stadium parking lot very briefly, unrelated to any operation or enforcement.”

After the events at the Stadium were shown on social media, a crowd began growing at a gate to the stadium parking lot, and Los Angeles Police Department officers eventually responded to the scene. The protesters reportedly chanted at the federal agents, but no incidents were reported.

The events in Chavez Ravine came on the same day the Dodgers were expected to announce team efforts to assist the immigrant community — following growing criticism for perceived silence from a team that boasts a large Latino fan base.

Meanwhile, in Glendale, ICE agents also raided the Glendale Classic Carwash in the 700 block of East Colorado Street, one of number sites in Glendale that have seen sweeps in recent days.

A witness told a reporter at the scene that she spoke with the manager of the business who said he did not consent to agents coming on the property — and that when he asked for a warrant, was told one was not needed.

According to one report, two workers were hauled off and one was later returned to the car wash.

Wednesday, at least six people were detained during the Pasadena immigration enforcement operations — with day laborers who were traveling to jobs being detained, according to media reports.

Chu, a Pasadena Democrat, described the raids in a Wednesday statement as “alarming” and later that day visited the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles, where reports indicated detainees had been taken.

She was there, she said, to “demand accountability and transparency, and seek answers regarding her constituents currently being detained, the circumstances of their apprehension, and whether they are being granted due process,” she said in a statement.

However, the congresswoman said she was denied access to the facility by ICE agents “despite her legal right as a Member of Congress to conduct oversight.”

In a statement Thursday, Chu also said video footage from the scene at Los Robles Avenue and Orange Grove Boulevard appears to show ICE agent committing “serious violations of the law, aiming weapons at innocent civilians, driving recklessly through residential streets, and failing to present warrants or identify themselves.”

“These chaotic and dangerous tactics put entire communities at risk,” Chu’s statement Thursday said. “And they make it clear that Trump’s ICE raids don’t just target immigrants, they endanger and affect all of us regardless of immigration status.”

She went on to say, “These raids aren’t targeting criminals, they’re indiscriminately targeting workplaces, community institutions, and family homes. They’re rounding up people who contribute to our communities and keep our economy running. I’ve heard from countless constituents who are sick with worry. I will not stop fighting for our immigrant communities and their right to due process.”

ICE officials did not respond to a request for comment.

The actions in Pasadena followed raids in Pico Rivera on Tuesday that prompted a protest that included about 100 people later that evening.

The recent series of actions came as a federal appellate court ponders whether President Donald Trump or California Gov. Gavin Newsom will control the state’s National Guard, which has been federalized by Trump and dispatched to the L.A. area, along with a contingent of US Marines.

A San Francisco federal judge ruled last week that Trump’s action was illegal and unconstitutional, but the appeals panel stayed the ruling and held a hearing on the matter on Tuesday — with its decision still pending.

Trump ordered the Guard deployed to Los Angeles shortly after the violence broke out in the first weekend of protests after the raids began June 6, later adding at least 700 US Marines to the area as well. (CNS)