Feds Raid Home Depot Lot Using Penske Truck in Immigration Sweep

Federal Immigration Raids Unfold in Los Angeles

A series of federal immigration raids took place in the Westlake area of Los Angeles on Wednesday morning, drawing attention from local residents and community organizations. The incident occurred just before 7 a.m. at a Home Depot store located on Wilshire Boulevard. Witnesses reported seeing federal agents storming the parking lot, leading to the arrest of several individuals.

According to video footage captured at the scene, immigration agents were seen loading multiple people into the back of a Penske rental truck. Tony Carfello, an organizer with the LA Tenants Union, shared that approximately 10 individuals were reportedly taken during the operation. He emphasized that the community members, vendors, and day laborers present at the location were deeply affected by the events.

The Department of Homeland Security has yet to officially confirm the number of people detained. However, Carfello highlighted the impact on those who were arrested, noting that many were simply trying to earn a living and support their families. "They blocked off a portion of the parking lot and started indiscriminately grabbing whoever they could," he said. "These are people trying to work and take care of themselves."

One of the individuals taken was the sister of a street vendor who had been setting up a food stand in the early morning hours. The vendor, who spoke off-camera, described how agents approached them but only took her sister. She revealed that her sibling has lived in the country for 13 years and has children, yet has never encountered any legal issues.

A witness who was waiting to load his truck at the Home Depot described the sudden nature of the event. He recalled that when a moving van arrived, several people seeking employment approached him. "We were right there talking, and after, it just happened so fast," he said. "They opened the back and everybody started running, and they arrested some people, like four or three people. They were all running, everyone, there was like three, four vans full with border patrol."

Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli addressed the situation on social media, stating that the federal government continues to enforce immigration laws. "For those who thought immigration enforcement had stopped in Southern California, think again. The enforcement of federal law is not negotiable, and there are no sanctuaries from the reach of the federal government," he said.

This development follows a recent ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which upheld a temporary restraining order against indiscriminate immigration stops and arrests in seven Southern California counties, including Los Angeles. Last month, a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order prohibiting immigration agents from stopping individuals without reasonable suspicion. While this order has limited the scope of raids, it has not entirely halted them.

The court order also prohibits agents from relying solely on factors such as race, ethnicity, speaking with an accent, or being at specific locations like bus stops, car washes, or agricultural sites as a basis for detaining individuals.

In response to the raid, L.A. Mayor Karen Bass' office released a statement condemning the tactics used by federal agents. "For months federal agents have been masking themselves and now they're using rental trucks to conduct their seemingly discriminatory raids—these tactics are dangerous," the statement read. "The Federal court of appeals made clear that it is unconstitutional in this country to racially profile people and snatch them from worksites. The City is gathering information about these reported raids and considering all legal options. Tactics like this are un-American and we will never accept these terrorizing ploys as a new normal."

Penske Truck Rental, the company whose vehicles were involved in the incident, issued a statement clarifying its position. "Penske strictly prohibits the transportation of people in the cargo area of its vehicles under any circumstances," the statement said. "The company was not made aware that its trucks would be used in today's operation and did not authorize this. Penske will reach out to DHS and reinforce its policy to avoid improper use of its vehicles in the future."