ICE Escalates Raids Across Southern California, Kidnapping at Downtown LA ISAP Office

ICE is back with a vengeance in Southern California, deploying aggressive raids that terrorize communities from Anaheim to San Diego. Yesterday alone, ICE agents kidnapped multiple people in Anaheim, the Inland Empire, and Los Angeles County, including two individuals forcibly taken within an hour at the ISAP office on Hill Street and 2nd Street in downtown LA.

This escalation comes amid grim news from L.A. TACO confirming another death tied to ICE detention conditions. Erika Arhuiz Vega, held at CoreCivic’s California City Immigration Processing Center, suffered fatal health deterioration after being denied dialysis treatment. She died shortly after deportation to Peru, underscoring the lethal neglect endemic in privately run ICE facilities.

The raids show no signs of slowing. In Anaheim, ICE snatched a person near a community college campus. In the Coachella Valley, three workers were seized mere days before the Coachella Music Festival. In Patterson, ICE agents shot at Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez, claiming self-defense despite dashcam footage contradicting their story. Mendoza Hernandez’s family insists he is not affiliated with gangs and was misidentified, highlighting ICE’s pattern of violent overreach and racial profiling.

ICE’s presence was also noted in Glendora, San Gabriel, Lennox, Corona, Riverside, Ontario, and San Diego. Community watchers report violent detentions, including one man in Corona who complied with commands but was thrown to the ground and forcibly loaded into an ICE vehicle.

This surge in raids and violent tactics is part of a broader pattern of authoritarian enforcement and disregard for human rights under the current administration. The use of unmarked vehicles, aggressive kidnappings during routine check-ins, and lethal neglect in detention centers demand urgent accountability.

We urge all Southern California residents to stay alert and support community defense efforts. For those who value this vital reporting on ICE’s abuses, consider supporting L.A. TACO’s work through membership, merchandise, or donations.

Sources and detailed raid locations can be found at L.A. TACO’s Daily Memo, with video coverage and community reports providing crucial transparency on ICE’s ongoing assault on immigrant communities.