Los Angeles activists organize anti-ICE community walks

Gloria Miguel, left, with the Garment Worker Center, holds a sign during a press conference in reaction to the Supreme Court’s decision that clears the way for sweeping immigration operations in Los Angeles to continue on Monday, Sept. 8, 2025, in Los Angeles.| AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) continues its aggressive raids in and around the Los Angeles area. Thousands have been tracked and taken away for being brown and speaking Spanish. Arresting men, women, and children illegally is a common feature of the ICE fear tactics.

By the numbers

A recent study by the Pew Research Center, “Latinos’ experience with immigration enforcement in the second Trump administration,” has shown how ICE has had a bad and dangerous effect on the Latino community. The study indicates that about half of U.S. Latinos worry they or someone close to them might be deported. In addition, a majority say immigration arrests or raids have occurred in their local area in the past six months. 47% feel less safe in their local area because of ICE deportation activities.

The number of people in ICE custody who have died has also gone up as the number of people in detention has gone up. According to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement records, more than 460,000 people have been taken away. Again, the number is much more likely to be higher. There have been reports of 47 deaths so far (ICE data), but there are probably more. That’s because the current administration is secretive, and ICE often delays the release of data. As a result, the department’s data is viewed as somewhat unreliable. 

Data compiled by ICE press releases reports that 6,200 children have been detained since the beginning of 2025. It is expected that in 2026, there will be a rapid rise in the detention of children. Every decent person should be shocked that the U.S. is incarcerating thousands of children.

ICE officials have also said that they are on track to carry out more than one million deportations annually. It’s no surprise that the Latino community is concerned about the attacks on their communities. It should come as no surprise that Latinos are actively seeking ways to organize against the ICE infiltration of our communities. 

Community action

For weeks now, community volunteers in Los Angeles have been conducting an anti-ICE community walk. The target area is Highland Park in Northeast Los Angeles. ICE has conducted raids in this neighborhood and the surrounding area on several occasions. Home Depot and McDonald’s were raided recently. ICE vans have been spotted around high schools, elementary schools, and primary day care centers.

Once a week, the anti-ICE community walk takes place throughout the neighborhood. Volunteers carry signs that read, “No Racist Deportations, Amnesty for All, and Close the Camps.” They have whistles ready to alert the community. The whistle code is simple. Three short blasts are to alert that ICE is in the area. One long blast means ICE is here. Volunteers also have phone cameras to document any ICE activity anywhere in their targeted walk area. 

A core group of volunteers participates; others have at various times also joined the walk. A local news station even had a segment on anti-ICE activity in Highland Park featuring anti-ICE community volunteers.

The volunteers meet outside a primary day care center. They walk past an elementary school and down Figueroa Street, a major avenue in the business section of Highland Park. Community volunteer Ismael, a longtime community activist, has taken this opportunity during the walks to hand out flyers addressing the U.S. imperialist war. The flyer reads “No more soldiers, wars, or killings.” Many people have taken the flyers and read them. 

The most interesting thing is that no one has ever reacted negatively or angrily to our community action. People in the community have actually praised us for thinking about the community. Some people have even prayed for our safety as we walk. Many people have told us that they support what we’re doing. Others have said we should keep up the good work. Ismael has given out flyers to people on the streets and has ventured into various businesses to hand them out. Not one business owner has said no to passing out the flyers.

This strategy from the ground up is easy. First of all, anyone can start an anti-ICE community walk. It doesn’t have to be a long walk, and any number of volunteers can participate. The point is for the community to get used to seeing volunteers walking around and talking to people. This strategy will be important when it comes time to encourage people to vote and deal with other problems in the community. This is only one aspect of organizing. The point is to keep advancing our work. 

ICE out of our communities.

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CONTRIBUTOR

David Trujillo

David Trujillo is a member of the National Writers Union, a playwright, writer, and community activist. David Trujillo es miembro de la Unión Nacional de Escritores, dramaturgo, escritor y activista comunitario.