Fil-Am official decries lack of humanity in ICE raids

Artesia Councilmember and former Mayor Melissa Ramoso (speaking at the podium) flanked by Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Southern California elected leaders. CONTRIBUTED

LOS ANGELES – A recent wave of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids along the West Coast has brought into sharp focus the growing tension between federal immigration policies and local sanctuary protections.

These operations are prompting urgent discussions about public safety, community trust and the presence of armed enforcement in public areas.

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Artesia City Councilmember and former Mayor Melissa Ramoso, in a Facebook post, reported that ICE raided a car wash in Artesia for the third time in just three weeks, targeting workers at the facility. Two employees were detained during the first raid.

When ICE agents returned a week later without a warrant, the business owner and his employees, aware of their rights, asked the agents to leave the private property. The agents complied.

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“Our tiny city of Artesia is being targeted. For the third time, ICE came back to our neighborhood car wash this morning. Again, employees knew their rights, told them to get off private property, and they left,” Ramoso wrote.

However, the incident did not end there. “With that bold, failed attempt, they [ICE] went to the neighboring plaza and detained a South Asian man who was just standing on the sidewalk,” Ramoso continued.

“This was the same man I see almost every day when I leave my home to go to work in the morning,” she added. Ramoso cautioned community members, stating, “If there is no signed warrant by a judge, federal agents cannot seek out and detain people.”

While ICE has not released an official statement regarding the raids or arrests, Ramoso’s post expressed deep concern for the welfare of both the employees and local residents.

Although the exact number of individuals detained or released remains unclear, Ramoso, in her personal capacity (not as a city representative), has helped a family obtain legal assistance through the Immigrant Legal Defense. She has also urged community groups to assist those affected.

On July 7, just days after Los Angeles residents celebrated Independence Day, a heavily armed ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) task force – accompanied by approximately 90 California National Guard troops – descended on MacArthur Park in LA’s Westlake district.

Marines enter LA’s MacArthur Park July 7. Screenshot from American Community Media

Federal officers in armored Humvees and on horseback swept through the park, which is near a children’s summer camp, prompting the group to be moved indoors. No arrests were reported during the operation.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass arrived at the scene amid intense public reaction. Speaking directly to federal agents, she said, “They need to leave – and they need to leave right now… this is unacceptable.”

At a news conference later, Bass condemned the operation as “outrageous and un-American,” asserting that it served no purpose beyond spreading fear. She posted on social media, “This is footage from today in MacArthur Park. Minutes before, there were more than 20 kids playing – then, the military comes through… Absolutely outrageous.”

She criticized the tactics, saying, “There is no plan other than fear, chaos, and politics,” and described the deployment of armed vehicles and mounted troops as a political stunt that terrorized children in the community.

As legal battles unfold at the city and state levels – including lawsuits challenging ICE’s tactics – community groups continue to call for transparency, accountability, and an end to what many describe as “enforcement theater” targeting immigrant neighborhoods.

In a press statement, Filipino immigrant groups Tanggol Migrante Network and the Filipino Migrant Center condemned the MacArthur Park incident, saying it “normalizes violence against migrants while desensitizing the public to military-style enforcement in our neighborhoods.”

Amid growing tensions, Los Angeles city officials have joined regional legal efforts to curb aggressive immigration enforcement tactics. According to Ramoso, after a press conference with neighboring Southeast LA cities at Artesia’s community center last week, the city “will be taking a formal stance in the coming weeks.”

“Everyone deserves due process,” Ramoso said. “You cannot profile individuals. This is painful and an extreme overreach. This cannot be the norm.”