With fear and frustration growing across Los Angeles, local activists are stepping up efforts to monitor apparent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations and remind residents of their legal rights.
One of the leading groups in this effort is the Community Self-Defense Coalition LA, a volunteer-based organization with around 150 members patrolling neighborhoods throughout Los Angeles County to track immigration enforcement activity.
Activists Monitor and Report ICE Activity
The group has already tracked and recorded at least two ICE operations in Alhambra and San Fernando. According to activist Ron Gochez, their presence may have influenced the outcome:
“In both of those places, we’re happy to report, the agents decided to abort the mission for whatever reason.”
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency has declined to comment on specific operations but maintains that their activities are part of routine enforcement. These operations come amid heightened immigration crackdowns in cities like Chicago and New York, led by the Trump administration.
Community Defense: Protecting Rights Legally
In response to increasing ICE activity, activists have been using loudspeakers to alert communities about their rights:
- You do not have to answer the door unless agents have a valid, court-issued warrant signed by a judge.
- Residents should ask for identification and verify the legal authority behind any request before complying.
- People have the right to remain silent and should not provide personal information without speaking to a lawyer.
Despite heightened tensions, Gochez emphasized that the group is committed to lawful defense efforts:
“We will not physically interfere. We will not attack. We won’t do anything illegal. We’ll do anything in our legal means to defend the community.”
Political Division Over ICE Operations
Not everyone agrees with the activists’ approach. Roxanne Hoge, chairwoman of LA County’s Republican Party, criticized efforts to disrupt ICE activities:
“The people with the loudspeakers and megaphones, trying to disrupt the lawful activities of law enforcement, don’t understand one thing—to live with the consequence that ICE is going to have to find these people in ever-increasing dangerous situations.”
In response, Gochez pointed to ICE’s own statistics, stating:
“The data from ICE itself shows that more than half of the people who have been detained are people with absolute zero criminal records.”
Legal Risks for Activists
The FBI, which has been assisting with immigration operations since January, has warned that anyone interfering with law enforcement actions could face prosecution. However, activists argue that their efforts focus on legal monitoring and community protection, not obstruction.
An incident on LA’s Eastside highlighted the urgency of their mission. Activists arrived late to what appeared to be another ICE operation, though they were unable to confirm if anyone had been detained.
