Immigration rights activists denounced the Los Angeles Police Department for separating angry crowds from a group of masked federal agents after police were videotaped for putting a woman in the back of an SUV.
“People are coming out to defend them and speculate on who protects the kidnappers who kidnapped our people?” LAPD officials said during a demonstration at the LAPD headquarters on Tuesday.
Shared with ABC7, the video has sparked tensions between the Latino community in Los Angeles and the LAPD, and is increasingly aggressive in federal immigration throughout Southern California.
The ministry has issued a statement insisting it does not cooperate with federal authorities. Instead, officials responded to reports of abduction in the downtown area on Tuesday when they stumbled upon federal immigration agents raiding in front of “excited” crowds.
The release said officials were between the audience and the immigrant agents’ attitude to “reduce tension”.
But immigration rights groups including Unión del Barrio and the Community Self-Defense Alliance have delayed the idea that the city and the LAPD has not helped federal authorities. They said police were there to stop the crowds when Icefield agents detained people.
During a demonstration outside the LAPD headquarters, Gochez held up a smartphone and showed the video as he picked out Mayor Karen Bass and Police Chief Jim McDonnell blamed him. “They have the courage to continue lying, saying that LAPD has not cooperated with ICE.”
Los Angeles City officials are banned from using municipal resources and employees for immigration enforcement under the sanctuary city regulations passed in 2024.
According to LAPD, the incident began with officials responding to a report involving a kidnapping report near East 9th Street and South Spring Street, around 9:10 a.m., which designated people to try to kidnap others without identifying themselves.
LAPD officials said the crowd “is increasingly excited and overflowing into the streets, causing turbulent situations and serious public safety hazards due to traffic and congestion in the busy downtown corridor.”
Police also said a “partially handcuffed woman” approached a LAPD official and was then detained by federal agents. LAPD said they were not involved in her detention or arrest.
“Federal agents did not inform LAPD of their planned law enforcement activities in advance,” the release said. “The department reported potential kidnapping only based on the initial radiotelephone. No arrests were made by LAPD.”
The department said officers stayed on the scene to “escalate tension, remove pedestrians out of the lane and allow emergency vehicles to pass safely.”
