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Tuesday, July 29, 2025

ICE Home Raids Escalate Across Southern California, Triggering Korean American Alarm

Federal immigration agents have expanded home raids across Southern California, raising growing concern in Korean American and immigrant communities. The raids are part of a broader crackdown on undocumented residents and have included armed, early-morning operations at homes.

Protesters listen to Isaac Kim of NAKASEC speak during an immigrant rights rally at Liberty Park in LA Koreatown
Isaac Kim of NAKASEC speaks at an immigrant rights rally held July 26 at Liberty Park in LA’s Koreatown. The Korea Daily/Sangjin Kim

LA Taco reported that a joint task force made up of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), U.S. Marshals, and Border Patrol has begun conducting home raids in residential neighborhoods.

On July 24, masked ICE agents carried out a raid at an apartment on Tustin Street in Orange.

A day earlier, on July 23 at around 7 a.m., ICE and ATF agents raided a home near Birch Street and First Street in Santa Ana. Witnesses saw women and children standing on the sidewalk as officers questioned them.

Dae Joong Yoon, Community Engagement Director at the Koreatown Immigrant Workers Alliance (KIWA), said, “ICE agents are conducting racially biased operations with their faces covered. Some have even asked landlords to provide tenant information. Immigrants are living in fear. It’s critical that people understand their legal rights when facing home raids.”

On June 27, federal agents broke down the front door of a house on the 3500 block of Flower Street in Huntington Park. Jenny Ramirez, a resident, said she was forced to lie face down in the hallway with her 6-year-old and 1-year-old children during the raid.

On June 24, an Iranian refugee couple was arrested outside their home near Lafayette Boulevard in West LA. The agents involved wore masks.

Ara Torossian, pastor at the couple’s church, Cornerstone Church, said, “The agents didn’t show any judge-signed warrant. When the woman being arrested had a panic attack, I shouted at them to release her and call 911—but they ignored me.”

Jung Hoon Song, an immigration attorney, explained that residents should first confirm whether the agents are with ICE or the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and ask to see a valid warrant. “An administrative warrant—such as ICE Form I-200 or I-205—without a judge’s signature does not authorize agents to enter a home without the resident’s consent,” he said.

He added, “If agents are already inside, residents should clearly state that they do not consent to the search or entry. If arrested, individuals should remain silent and assert their right to speak with an attorney.”

Adding to the controversy, Kristi Noem, Secretary of Homeland Security, was present during a raid on June 12. She accompanied ICE agents during an operation near Flower Street in Huntington Park, where a Mexican national with a prior drug trafficking conviction was arrested.

BY HANKIL KANG [kang.hankil@koreadaily.com]

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Hankil Kang
Hankil Kang
Hankil Kang provides in-depth coverage of Korean-American community affairs in the United States, with a particular emphasis on the greater Los Angeles. Kang reports on culture, entertainment, and stories from college campuses. Kang earned a BA in Public Relations and an MA in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Georgia.