Los Angeles, CA – On the evening of Monday, October 26, over 30 Chicanos marched on the East Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department station to denounce the collaboration of ICE and East LA Sheriffs. In California and LA county there are laws and policies that are supposed to limit and ban the collaboration of local police and federal ICE agents.

In October alone, at least three people have been kidnapped by masked ICE agents just feet outside the East Los Angeles Sheriff's Department station at Belvedere Park Lake. There have also been videos circulated online that show masked ICE agents staging in a parking lot directly in front of the sheriff’s station.

This collaboration comes as part of “Operation Safe California,” the 45-day immigration enforcement surge launched by ICE and the Department of Homeland Security.

The protest was organized by Centro CSO and began with a program of speakers from Centro CSO, Check the Sheriff Coalition and the Boyle Heights Immigrant Rights network.

Brianna Mosqueda of CSO’s Immigration Committee told the crowd, “We're here together as a group, as Centro CSO and we are not going anywhere, we are here to demand the East Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department stop collaborating with ICE.”

Emiliano Martin Del Campo of the CSO Police Accountability Committee stated, “The people have a right to know how our community is being policed, who is doing so, and how our resources are being utilized. This clear collaboration of ICE and sheriffs has to be stopped immediately to protect our community from further harm.”

Verita Topete, chair of Centro CSO’s Immigration Committee, said, “For generations, Raza in Aztlán have lived under a system that criminalizes us on one side and targets us for deportation on the other. Police violence and ICE repression work together to control and silence our people. This is national oppression, and we refuse to accept it!”

After the program, the community marched on the East Los Angeles Sheriff Station. Marchers chanted, “La migra, la policía, la misma porqueria!”

The protesters went through the yellow tape that the sheriffs put up to stop the people from reaching the station, which is supposed to be open to the public. The sheriff deputies quickly locked the station doors as the crowd of angry Chicanos approached, and the protesters proceeded to chant and bang on the glass doors.

Folks in attendance said the sheriff’s deputies will do whatever they can to stop protest, but the same deputies will look the other away when masked ICE agents kidnap raza from the public park outside. The protest ended with organizers telling those in attendance to sign up at the table and stay involved. To stay up to date, make sure to follow Centro CSO on all socials.

Update: On the morning of October 31, another person was kidnapped by ICE after being released from the custody of the sheriff's department, a clear sign that there is ongoing collaboration between LA sheriffs and ICE.

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