ICE Raids Target LA Day Laborer Centers as Advocates Demand Triple Funding

Los Angeles day laborer centers have become battlegrounds in the Trump administration’s relentless immigration crackdown. Over the past year, masked and armed federal agents have conducted at least 23 raids across seven centers, detaining 136 workers and sometimes brandishing guns at staff, according to Maegan Ortiz, executive director of the nonprofit IDEPSCA, which runs most of these centers.

In one shocking incident last fall, agents stormed a day laborer center in Cypress Park—private property—and violently threw a site coordinator to the ground. These raids have left many workers “disappeared,” forcing centers to track down where detainees are held, often with little information.

Despite this ongoing assault, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass’s newly proposed $14.9 billion budget allocates only $1 million for the seven day laborer centers. Advocates say this figure is woefully inadequate given the centers’ expanding role as safe havens, legal aid providers, and emergency support hubs—especially after the January 2025 wildfires, where day laborers were critical in recovery efforts.

“The day laborer centers have become climate disaster hubs that help workers left out of the safety net system,” Ortiz said. “This is more than just an immigration issue. This is an economic issue. This is a climate issue. This is a health and safety issue.”

Advocates are demanding $3 million to cover urgent needs such as reinforced doors, security cameras, and expanded assistance for rent, food, and legal fees—which IDEPSCA reports has already surpassed $400,000. Ortiz emphasized the need to “make it harder for Border Patrol to go in and violate the Constitution.”

At a recent budget hearing, representatives from IDEPSCA and CARECEN, which operates the Westlake day laborer center, testified about the escalating raids and the growing fear in the immigrant community. Joshua Erazo, an organizer at CARECEN, has witnessed four separate raids and described the persistent trauma inflicted on workers.

“Despite these attempts, the immigrant community continues to rise above,” Erazo said. “All the day laborer centers remain open so the community could have a space for healing. We are grateful to be in the proposed budget … The amount is just not enough.”

Jorge Nicolas of CARECEN warned the city council committee, “Our response cannot remain the same while the crisis grows. Maintaining decorum budget is not enough.”

With the city council set to approve the budget by July 1, advocates are pushing hard to ensure the centers receive the funding necessary to protect and support some of LA’s most vulnerable workers in the face of aggressive federal immigration enforcement.

We will update this story if the mayor’s office responds.