Federal agents carried out coordinated immigration enforcement operations across Los Angeles on the morning of June 6, targeting multiple sites including a Korean-owned clothing store in the Fashion District and a Home Depot near Koreatown. The operations were led by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with support from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
At approximately 9:30 a.m., agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the FBI raided Ambiance, a Korean-owned clothing business located near 9th Street and Towne Avenue. According to local business owner Yongdae Kim, about ten unmarked vehicles stopped suddenly outside the store, and 40 to 50 agents in tactical gear swarmed the entrance.
Witnesses reported that three helicopters flew overhead during the operation. When onlookers began to gather, one federal agent reportedly fired a warning shot to disperse the crowd. Dozens of people, including members of Latino civil rights organizations, gathered to protest the raid. Businesses in the immediate area closed temporarily amid the escalating tension.
FBI officials later confirmed that the agency was assisting DHS as part of a broader nationwide enforcement effort. “We are supporting DHS immigration operations nationwide,” the FBI said in a statement, noting that additional resources—including SWAT units, analysts, and technical teams—were deployed based on operational needs.
Around the same time, federal agents also conducted a separate operation at the Home Depot parking lot on Wilshire Boulevard, a known site where Hispanic day laborers gather for work. Videos shared on the Citizen app, a mobile public safety platform, and social media showed multiple men being led away in handcuffs. A witness told reporters that several men and women, including street vendors, were detained at the scene.
As of 2:00 p.m. on June 6, officials have not confirmed how many people were taken into custody. DHS has not released further details, and both raids appear to be part of a continuing national crackdown on undocumented immigration.
BY YOONJAE JUNG [jung.yoonjae@koreadaily.com]
