Los Ángeles, CA – On Friday, June 6, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raided multiple locations in Los Angeles, triggering rapid response from communities and a spontaneous protest in downtown Los Angeles.

ICE operations carried out coordinated raids throughout the morning and afternoon, including two confirmed Home Depot parking lots and what’s known as LA’s Fashion District downtown. FBI agents were assisting in ICE operations and people were detained without warrants. It is still unconfirmed how many people were detained.

Centro CSO and the community mobilized quickly when the raids were reported and nearly 100 gathered in the Fashion District to protest the operations and defend the workers. FBI agents escalated and fired tear gas to disperse the crowd. As a response, an emergency protest was called by community organizations. Within hours, a couple hundred people gathered at the Metropolitan Detention Center to protest the raids and demand “ICE out of LA.”

Centro CSO members turned out to the emergency protest and Gabriel Quiroz Jr. spoke in front of the crowd declaring, “We condemn these attacks on Raza that happened today in Los Angeles. We saw clear collaboration of LAPD with ICE and FBI. We will hold Jim McDonnell, the chief of LAPD, accountable. We have a rapid response network in place with our allies, and we will continue to organize and mobilize when we see ICE activity in our neighborhood of Boyle Heights and East Los Angeles.”

Quiroz Jr led the chant, “When Chicanos are under attack we will stand up and fight back!”

CSO members condemn these attacks and denounce LAPD for protecting and colluding with ICE operations today. There are reports that ICE is staging further raids in LA this weekend.

After a recent sighting of ICE in Boyle Heights, Centro CSO will continue as planned to hold a protest at Mariachi Plaza on Sunday, June 8, at 11 a.m. demanding” Legalization for all” and “ICE out of our barrios.”

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