Seven workers at a Long Beach car wash were detained by federal immigration agents Saturday, one of whom appeared to faint and collapse while in custody.
The incident comes nearly a week since the United States Supreme Court ruled the Trump administration could, at least temporarily, resume sweeping immigration enforcement operations in L.A. and seven other SoCal counties.
There have also been multiple reports that masked federal agents have swept up American citizens during the raids, as well as others with documentation granting them legal status.
Workers at Bixby Knoll’s Car Wash, at 577 E. Wardlow Rd., were the latest to be targeted in the Department of Homeland Security’s immigration dragnet.
The raid, according to witnesses, some of whom documented it on their cellphones, said the raid unfolded at around 10 a.m. Saturday when about four dark-colored SUV’s carrying masked agents with tactical vests pulled up and blocked the car wash’s entrance and exits, prompting several of the car wash employees to make a break for it.
One woman captured by agents and escorted to one of the SUV’s appeared to faint and collapse as she was about to be put into the vehicle. The agent holding her struggled to keep her off the ground before another agent came to his aid.
A man filming the incident, who did not want to be identified, can be heard yelling at agents to get her some medical assistance.
“The most striking thing for me was a woman probably my mother’s age running with her work tools being chased by a young ICE agent, running for her life,” he told KTLA. “It was just very impactful for me.”
On Sept. 9, witnesses captured federal agents targeting occupants of a Camero parked outside of Van Nuys Mexican restaurant for unknown reasons.
In that instance, masked agents shattered the driver’s window and detained two men, both of whom were said to have green cards or lawful permanent residents. A pregnant woman, a U.S. citizen, was also detained but later released.
Tom Homan, the White House Border Czar, has repeatedly emphasized that immigration enforcement operations will continue to ramp up. With SCOTUS’ temporary ruling on roving immigration patrols in L.A. County, DHS now has permission to target people based on their race, ethnicity and the language they speak.
Critics of the Trump administration’s tactics have raised alarm bells about people with no criminal history being detained and that hardworking folks trying to support their families are indiscriminately being arrested.
According to NBC News, more than 58,000 undocumented immigrants have been taken into custody since Trump took office. About 30% of those detained have criminal convictions, while 25% had pending criminal charges. The remaining 45% were categorized as “other immigration violator,” with 11% being fast tracked for deportation.
KTLA has reached out to DHS and Immigration and Customs Enforcement for information on the Long Beach operation and is awaiting a response.
When asked for comment on the Van Nuys operation, an ICE spokesperson released the following statement to KTLA:
“ICE is conducting routine law enforcement operations across the nation on a daily basis. Due to our operational tempo and increased interest in our mission, we are not able to research every arrest.”
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