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Residents tell Los Angeles City Council federal immigration raids are silencing Hispanic community
Summary
At the Sept. 16 council meeting, multiple Spanish‑language speakers described fear, family separations and economic harm from recent federal immigration enforcement actions; Councilmember Adrián Nazarian framed the remarks and said the council would continue documenting impacts.
Several Spanish‑language residents told the Los Angeles City Council on Sept. 16 that recent federal immigration enforcement actions are frightening workers, emptying neighborhood businesses and breaking families.
Councilmember Adrián Nazarian (Second District) introduced the set of speakers and said the city has received ongoing reports for nearly 90 days about Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions that have “damaged our economy and disturbed our peace.” Nazarian asked community members and service providers to describe impacts on workplaces, schools and shelters.
Brenda López, who identified herself as a representative of the Hispanic community, told the council many parents are afraid to go to work or to take children to school. “Tenemos muchas madres quienes tienen miedo de salir a trabajar y ir con sus niños a las escuelas,” López said. She and other speakers said some residents have left the city because of fear.
Cindy Villal described “panic” across families and said she has seen neighbors who stopped attending public events or left Los Angeles because of enforcement activity. “La gente quien yo conozco personalmente, madres trabajadoras y padres quienes dan todo este país para dar a sus niños mejor vida,” Villal said.
Marnie de la Cruz, representing a service provider, said she has seen families separated and children removed from schools during enforcement actions and said that providers have worked to support people who are suddenly unreachable. Service organizations present included Hope the Mission, which staff said is assisting affected clients.
Nazarian told the council it is important to record the moment and to keep offering support. At the close of the public statements, the council did not take a formal vote on the issue; speakers requested continued city assistance and documentation.
Why it matters: Speakers said raids are producing immediate social and economic harms — lost work, missed medical appointments and family separations — that community groups and some council members view as a local crisis needing ongoing attention. The statements were part of the public‑comment period and did not represent formal council action.
What happened next: The public‑comment block concluded and the council proceeded to other agenda items. Council staff provided language about interpretation services and public‑comment procedures during the meeting.
