Ongoing immigration enforcement operations in Southern California took place in Pasadena and Pico Rivera on Wednesday.
Six Pasadena residents were detained and taken to the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles, according to Rep. Judy Chu’s office.
“ICE agents are pointing guns at innocent individuals, no warrants, no explanations, just fear and intimidation,” Chu told X. “These raids in my district are absolutely disgusting. They terrorize families and destroy any sense of security in our communities, masked and armed like a militia. This is not law enforcement; it is a gross abuse of power, and I will not tolerate it.”
The eight-term Pasadena Democrat’s office issued a statement stating that Chu planned to visit the Metropolitan Detention Center on Wednesday afternoon to “demand accountability and transparency, and seek answers regarding her constituents currently being detained, the circumstances of their apprehension, and whether they are being granted due process.”
However, the congresswoman reported that Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials refused to let her enter the facility.
“ICE agents even brandished a gun at a young man just for filming,” Chu wrote on social media. “I was denied entry despite my legal right as a Member of Congress to inspect (DHS) facilities. “This is outrageous and illegal.”
ICE did not return a request for comment.
According to published reports based on eyewitness testimony and information from immigration advocates, ICE agents detained several people near a Pasadena shopping center around 6 a.m. Wednesday, including two men at a bus stop on Los Robles Avenue and Orange Grove Boulevard.
City spokeswoman Lisa Deriderian said via email that “local public safety personnel’staged’ in front of (Pasadena) City Hall for approximately an hour.”
She also stated that city officials are “aware of multiple reports regarding enforcement activity at various locations throughout the city (Wednesday) morning.” We are actively looking into social media posts, photos, and videos to get a better understanding of the situation.
“We want to be clear: Neither the city of Pasadena nor the Pasadena Police Department is involved in the enforcement of federal civil immigration laws,” the statement said. “We do not ask about a person’s immigration status when responding to service calls or providing city services.
“The federal government has the authority to enforce immigration laws. State and local governments, including the City of Pasadena, do not enforce federal immigration law. Instead, our role as a local government remains to serve our community,” the statement said.
Pasadena officials share concerns “felt across the region in response to recent federal immigration enforcement actions,” Deriderian said.
She stated that a peaceful protest took place Wednesday night, with approximately 250 people gathered for a few hours near the intersection of Orange Grove Boulevard and Los Robles.
The ICE operations in Pasadena came after raids in Pico Rivera on Tuesday, which sparked a protest by approximately 100 people.
ICE agents raided a Food 4 Less store on Whittier Boulevard and a Lowe’s home improvement store in the 8600 block of Washington Boulevard.
It was unclear how many people had been detained.
According to media reports, a man identified by relatives as Adrian Andrew Martinez, 20, was wrestled to the ground and arrested by federal agents after allegedly intervening while agents were questioning another man.
“The city of Pico Rivera is aware of and can confirm recent reports on immigration control operations conducted by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Enforcement) in our city. “These actions have, understandably, caused concern, fear, and anxiety among many of our residents,” officials wrote on social media Tuesday.
“To be clear, the city of Pico Rivera and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department are not involved, cooperating with, or supporting any federal immigration control operations. Our city remains committed to protecting the rights and dignity of all people, regardless of their immigration status. “Everyone has the right to due process as guaranteed by the Constitution,” the statement continued.
“We are deeply concerned with the tone and nature of these recent actions. Reports of aggressive tactics, warrantless arrests, and operatives who appear to target specific communities call into question the process’s proportionality, justice, and legality.
The hours-long protest marched from Pico Rivera City Hall to the intersection of Rosemead and Washington Boulevards.
LA County sheriff’s deputies monitored the demonstration, but no arrests were reported.
Despite violent protests and repeated pleas from local politicians to end the raids, Trump administration officials have stated that the immigration enforcement operations will continue.
On Sunday, Trump urged ICE officials to “do everything in their power to achieve the very important goal of delivering the single largest mass deportation program in history,” as he posted on social media.
The recent ICE operations in the San Gabriel Valley took place as a court decision on the control of California National Guard troops stationed in downtown Los Angeles approached.
An appeals court panel heard arguments Tuesday but did not rule on whether Trump or Gov. Gavin Newsom will control the state’s National Guard. That hearing followed a lawsuit filed by Newsom and state Attorney General Rob Bonta challenging Trump’s decision to federalize thousands of Guard soldiers. Last week, San Francisco-based federal Judge Charles Breyer ruled that placing the troops under the president’s authority was illegal and unconstitutional.
Since the appellate panel did not return the troops to Newsom’s control, a hearing before Breyer is scheduled for Friday, during which the judge may further block the federalization.
Trump sent the National Guard to Los Angeles shortly after violence erupted on June 6 and 7, the first weekend of protests. A short time later, the president dispatched approximately 700 US Marines to the area.
On Tuesday, the United States Department of Defense Northern Command announced that the 49th Military Police Brigade, along with the 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team and two Marine units under a central command, would serve in the Los Angeles area, totaling approximately 4,100 soldiers and 700 active-duty Marines.
