On Monday, nearly 200 federal agents raided MacArthur Park in Los Angeles. This was a notable intensification of their hostile immigration enforcement activities in the region. MacArthur Park has long flourished in one of the most immigrant-rich neighborhoods in the urban US. It’s become a primary center of service for residents under duress, distributing free meals and hosting a summer camp for local kids—run by the city’s parks and recreation department.
The raids really galvanized the entire community, worry and fear growing into outrage. Pastor offers prayer as masked and armed ICE agents have been swooping down across the region arresting Latinos at grocery stores, car washes, Home Depot stores, schools and churches. Beyond immediate threats to residents’ health and safety, residents suffer acute psychological harm at the hands of federal agents. Consequently, many are skipping the park and its nearby communities altogether.
Business owners in MacArthur Park report large drops in business. One of the main reasons for this downturn, they say, is the climate of fear instilled by the raids. They’re either too afraid or they didn’t make it to work due to ICE. They say they’d rather cook at home. It’s cleaner and safer,” said one local business owner, speaking to the changes this project has made to everyday life and local business.
Things only seem to have gotten worse following an unprecedented raid on Thursday. Agents raided farms in Ventura County—just north of Los Angeles—and arrested 200 people. This escalative tactic from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has sent shockwaves through community advocates and immigration lawyers. In the six weeks since June 6, over 2,800 immigrants have been taken into custody throughout the Southern Calif.
In the midst of this chaos, death came calling in a terrible but predictable way. One unfortunate farmworker died after falling 30 feet in the course of one of these raids. These incidents have heightened a sense of insecurity for the people who live in these neighborhoods.
A federal judge took action to address that on Friday. To combat the concentrated attacks on immigrants, they recently obtained a temporary restraining order against the government’s immigration sweeps. This executive order prohibits federal law enforcement agents from deploying against individuals in the district. They’re allowed to only if they have “reasonable suspicion” that an individual has broken immigration laws. The ruling further prohibits agents from relying on specific characteristics, such as appearance, to enter those justification stops.
Despite these favorable legal developments, the majority of residents are still convinced that they are not safe. Jerica Medina, an outspoken community member, expressed her frustration: “I’m sad and angry for this community. It’s impossible for us [the Latino community] to win.” She likened the current climate to historical atrocities, stating, “You know what Hitler did? That’s what I feel right now. Except there are a lot of cellphones to record what happens.”
Moreover, the raids have done critical damage to local vendors. Many of whom depend on foot traffic to survive. Immigrant vendors have been arrested while plying their trade from traditional tamale carts and fruit stalls, often seen as eyesores or nuisances. “Our customer base is mainly Hispanic. They are targeted the most,” another local vendor noted, highlighting the racial profiling that many believe is occurring during these operations.
While many of us have allowed fear to grip our community, our residents are doing their best to hope against hope. One community member remarked, “When something bad happens, we retain it. We have the capacity of quickly forgetting everything good that has happened to us and everything that we have achieved.” This attitude expresses an almost genetic defiance towards fate embedded in the oppressed.