LA residents fear ICE enforcement raids may spark violence like Minneapolis

Immigration and Customs Enforcement(ICE) enforcement raids are accelerating across Los Angeles, including Koreatown and other immigrant-heavy neighborhoods, as federal agents step up operations targeting undocumented residents. As a result, anxiety is spreading among residents, who fear that Los Angeles could face violence similar to recent deadly incidents involving federal agents in Minneapolis.

In Koreatown, workers and residents say the atmosphere has grown tense. An employee at a local car wash said that on January 26, an unmarked SUV stopped at the entrance for an extended period. When Hispanic workers noticed the vehicle, they fled the scene. “It feels terrifying because ICE agents could appear anywhere, at any time,” the employee said.

Unmarked vehicles and sudden operations

Similar scenes have played out elsewhere in Southern California. On the morning of January 27, at about 10:04 a.m., federal agents arrived in unmarked SUVs outside a home near Atlantic Avenue and McMillan Street in Lynwood, launching a surprise enforcement operation.

Local media outlets across Southern California have reported a series of similar raids. According to those reports, ICE detained a street vendor in Cypress Park on January 12. On the same day, agents arrested an adult man near a school in Highland Park. In Lincoln Heights, federal agents conducted an enforcement operation in front of a street stall, prompting people at the scene to scatter in panic.

Communities organize to share information

Residents and civil rights groups, however, have responded by sharing information amid concerns over potential abuse of force, including shootings by federal agents. Social media has become a key tool.

The Southern California community alert account @sc_communityalerts on Instagram has about 28,000 followers. It shares real-time information on the dates, times, locations, photos, and videos of enforcement actions. Another account, @stopicenet, has about 125,000 followers nationwide and posts updates on ICE operations across Southern California and beyond. In addition, People Over Paper (iceout.org) uses an online map to track enforcement activity. Group chats among Korean business owners and workers in the Santee Alley area of downtown Los Angeles also circulate alerts about federal operations.

Economic and emotional toll

The stepped-up enforcement has begun to affect local businesses. Young Seok Kim, who runs a logistics company in Torrance, said hostility toward ICE has intensified. “People worry that something bad could happen in Los Angeles, like what happened in Minneapolis,” he said. “As enforcement continues, the overall mood has darkened, people are shrinking back, and businesses are suffering.”

In Monrovia, makeshift memorials have appeared near the entrance of a Home Depot and along exits of the 210 Freeway, honoring undocumented day laborers who were arrested, detained, or killed during federal enforcement actions.

Support services and growing concerns

The National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC) is offering support through a hotline at 1-844-500-3222 and a mobile app called Know Your Rights 4 Immigrant, aimed at helping Korean Americans navigate encounters with immigration authorities.

Meanwhile, The Washington Post reported on January 26 that since July last year, federal agents have discharged firearms during arrest operations or fired at demonstrators in at least 16 separate incidents. According to the report, at least 10 people were shot, including four U.S. citizens, and three of them died.

As enforcement continues, fear and uncertainty remain widespread across immigrant communities in Los Angeles.

BY HYOUNGJAE KIM  [kim.ian@koreadaily.com]