Anti-ICE Protesters Demand LAPD Stop Aiding Immigration Raids

On April 7, roughly 40 protesters gathered outside the Los Angeles Police Department headquarters in Downtown LA to demand that the LAPD stop assisting federal immigration enforcement agencies during raids. The demonstration, organized by the L.A. Sanctuary Coalition—a coalition including the ACLU of Southern California, SEIU UHW, and the Garment Worker Center—accused the LAPD of undermining city sanctuary policies by providing crowd control and establishing perimeters for ICE and Homeland Security Investigations.

Carlos Amador of the L.A. Sanctuary Coalition made the case clear: “We have strong sanctuary ordinances in Los Angeles, but the LAPD has failed to implement them. That’s why we’re here demanding they stop collaborating with ICE.” The protesters highlighted that while LAPD’s official stance, outlined in Special Order 4 from 1979, prohibits officers from initiating contact based solely on immigration status, in practice officers still support ICE raids by securing the scene.

One powerful testimony came from a garment worker detained during a June 2025 ICE raid at Ambiance Apparel in Downtown LA. The worker described being trapped, unable to contact family, and held in inhumane conditions at Adelanto detention facility for three weeks. “ICE not only terrorized me and my peers, but also our families and our community,” the statement read. “The least local government can do is ensure police cannot assist them.”

Despite these concerns, the Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners took no action at their April 7 meeting. LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell reiterated in 2025 that the department does not participate in civil immigration enforcement or mass deportations, but activists argue that LAPD’s presence at raids effectively enables ICE’s operations.

Father Brendan Busse, S.J., pastor of Dolores Mission Catholic Church in Boyle Heights and a rally participant, stressed the need for the LAPD to build trust with immigrant communities. “Serving and protecting—that’s what we’re here to ask LAPD to do. Our safety and sanctuary go together.”

The LAPD’s spokesman, J. Chaves, responded to the protest by affirming the department’s commitment to public safety and community trust but did not address calls to end all forms of assistance to ICE.

This protest shines a harsh light on the gap between sanctuary policies on paper and the realities on the ground, revealing how local police can become complicit in federal immigration crackdowns. For immigrant communities, this means continued fear and vulnerability despite promises of protection. The demand is clear: end all police collaboration with ICE to uphold the spirit of sanctuary and protect civil rights.