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Angelenos tell council ICE raids are tearing families apart; advocates urge protections
Summary
Residents and service providers told the Los Angeles City Council that recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations have spread fear, interrupted work and schooling, and separated families. Councilmember Adrián Nazarian convened speakers from South Los Angeles and service centers to describe cases of people detained and children removed.
Councilmember Adrián Nazarian on Tuesday opened public comment with a forum on recent immigration enforcement actions that residents and service providers say are destabilizing neighborhoods across Los Angeles. "This federal administration continues to threaten our communities, disrupting workplaces, schools, [and] places of worship," Nazarian said.
Speakers described fear and practical harms they said followed recent ICE operations. "A lot of us have seen it," Brenda Lopez told the council. "A lot of mothers are scared to go out to work. They're scared to walk their kids to school." Cindy Vigil said some community members, including U.S. citizens, have left the city out of fear. "People that came over here with the hopes of a better future for their kids — that is not what they have been given," she said.
Marnie De La Cruz described what she called the disappearance of people in enforcement actions and the knock-on effect for family members: "Children are being removed from their schools. Parents don't know where their children are. Children don't know where their parents are." She and other speakers said council offices, especially Nazarian's, had been responding by helping families with groceries, rent and referrals to services.
Speakers included representatives of local service providers. Nazarian introduced speakers from Hope the Mission and community-run centers that assist unhoused and vulnerable residents; he said council offices have been responding to reports of ICE activity at service sites and shelters. "Every time we run into a challenge where we know there's a report of ICE, we immediately call the council office and he's showing up," Marnie De La Cruz said of Nazarian's response.
Council members publicly acknowledged the testimony and framed it as part of the council's record. "It's very, very important that we document this time in our city," the council president said after public comment concluded.
The speakers urged more legal assistance, clearer information about rights, and city-level steps to ensure service sites are not disrupted. The council did not make a formal vote on a new policy during the public comment period; Nazarian used his time to amplify accounts and press for continued council attention to the topic.
Ending: Councilmember Nazarian said the council will continue to monitor reports of enforcement activity and to coordinate with service providers; speakers said they would provide further documentation of incidents.
