Federal agents conducted a raid at a Home Depot location in San Bernardino, California, on Thursday morning, just a day after a similar operation in the Westlake area of Los Angeles. According to Homeland Security sources, the first operation resulted in the temporary detention of 16 individuals suspected of being undocumented immigrants.
The raids come amid the Trump administration’s efforts to overturn a Ninth Circuit Court ruling that requires agents to have a warrant to make immigration arrests. This has led to conflicting reports about the number of arrests made during the second operation, with one activist claiming only one person was taken into custody.
Witnesses at the scene described feeling scared by the presence of SUVs filled with armed agents. Some described their interactions with agents as ‘respectful,’ while other video footage showed individuals appearing panicked.
The action follows the Trump administration’s request to the Supreme Court to review the ban on immigration raids. The Department of Justice argued that federal agents need to be allowed to consider factors like the language people speak or where they work to more effectively enforce immigration laws in areas deemed top priorities.
The Trump administration’s aggressive immigration measures in the Los Angeles area have faced numerous protests and have previously involved the deployment of the National Guard and Marines.
