16 arrested in immigration raid at Westlake Home Depot in 'Trojan horse' operation

On Wednesday, August 6, a federal immigration operation took place at 7:00 a.m. in the morning at the Home Depot near MacArthur Park in Los Angeles. 

In several videos shared on social media, federal agents are seen filming this morning’s immigration raid with their own camera crew. The operation resulted in at least 16 arrests, despite a federal court order that limits the scope of immigration enforcement in the area and prohibits detention without reasonable suspicion based on race, location, or occupation.

The video also demonstrates multiple immigration agents using a yellow Penske rental truck and other U-Haul vehicles as their form of transportation during today's raid. 

“This morning, federal immigration enforcement agents stormed the Westlake Home Depot in unmarked Penske trucks, terrorizing our community and targeting day laborers. This is yet another attack on our judicial system by the Trump Administration in clear violation of the temporary restraining order. Using a rental truck to round up people like cargo is a disgusting reflection of this administration's total disregard for human life and the rule of law,” said Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez.

Officials from the Department of Homeland Security told Fox News that the notorious MS-13 gang maintains a “chokehold” on the area, justifying the need for such enforcement actions. Federal authorities made similar claims last month during a large-scale raid in MacArthur Park, where approximately 100 agents conducted a sweep, prompting Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass to personally visit the scene and request that the agents leave.

Penske Truck Rental issued a statement Wednesday saying the company prohibits the transportation of people in the cargo area of its vehicles under any circumstances. “The company was not made aware that its trucks would be used in today's operation and did not authorize this,” according to the company.

Since the start of immigration raids earlier this year, there has been a noticeable increase in enforcement activity at several Home Depot and Lowe’s locations across Southern California. This has led many to question whether these hardware stores are cooperating with immigration enforcement agents. CALÓ News has made multiple attempts to contact a Home Depot spokesperson for comment, but our calls have not been returned.

In a recent 404 Media report, hundreds of AI-powered automated license plate reader cameras, which are funded by Lowe’s and Home Depot and installed in their parking lots, are part of a massive surveillance system that law enforcement can access, according to records obtained using a public records request.

Flock’s automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras are stationed along roads or at entrances to parking lots around the United States and constantly scan the license plates of cars that drive by. Because there are Flock cameras around the country, Flock often has a snapshot of people’s movements, which police can search, typically without a warrant.   

Home Depot’s privacy policy notes that it uses ALPR cameras and says it shares data with third parties. “For the purposes of (1) ensuring the safety and security of our customers, associates and third parties; (2) protecting our rights and property and the rights and property of our customers, associates and third parties; (3) complying with legal processes; or (4) satisfying other legal requirements.”

Wednesday’s enforcement operation was the most high-profile immigration raid in the area since a federal judge issued temporary restraining orders last month. The orders prohibit the government from stopping individuals in violation of the Fourth Amendment and require that detained individuals be granted access to legal counsel.

Local immigrant advocates also criticized the raid, calling it a violation of the court order. Several groups announced plans to conduct protests and marches in downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday night in response to the action.

Pablo Alvarado, co-executive director of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, said the raid “staged by agents in cowboy hats jumping out of a rented van with a TV crew in tow marks a dangerous escalation in the Trump administration's assault on immigrant communities, the courts, and the people of Los Angeles.”