Carlitos Ricardo Parias, the TikTok creator known for his viral commentary on the often-torturous workings of U.S. immigration enforcement, made a splash this week. His ascendency was cemented after a deadly shooting ambush against federal agents in Los Angeles. The faceoff occurred at a moment when national deportation operations were reaching a fever pitch under the Trump administration. This incident is the second shooting involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in as many recent weeks.
On Tuesday, Parias reportedly tried to ram his vehicle into the cars of federal agents. In retaliation, agents moved decisively to trap his car, creating a blockade that had the effect of total lockdown. During the subsequent standoff, federal personnel shot Parias in the left elbow. A ricochet bullet from that incident struck a deputy US marshal in the hand, raising concerns about the escalating violence associated with immigration enforcement activities.
The shooting incident is one of many incidents increasing tension around ICE and other deportation operations across the United States. In fact, at least 16 people have reportedly died in ICE facilities from January through September this year, a number that doesn’t include family detention centers. Often disproportionately, Southern California communities have borne the brunt of these types of operations. Unfortunately, residents now live in constant fear of surprise raids and removals. As a result, many residents are deeply afraid to even step outside their doors, where they risk being intercepted by federal agents.
The recent shooting in Phoenix has raised the stakes and completely changed the landscape. In March 2020, an ICE officer shot at a moving vehicle that they and other officials were attempting to pull over. The timing of these incidents raises some very important questions. It challenges the tactics and priorities of the agents tasked with carrying out federal immigration enforcement actions.
Indeed, Southern Californian residents have led the charge to share their fears of deportation in response to ICE’s sanctuary deportation practices. Most complain that these type of operations increase fear and anxiety in their communities. After years of the current administration’s efforts to expand these deportation forces, families feel unsafe in their communities and in their own homes.