Activists accuse LAPD of allegedly collaborating with ICE after social media videos erupt

On Tuesday afternoon, a group of community activists stood in front of LAPD headquarters in downtown Los Angeles, accusing the police department of violating the Sanctuary State Law, SB54, which prohibits local law enforcement from collaborating with federal agencies during immigration operations. 

Activist Ron Gochez said L.A. Mayor Karen Bass and LAPD Chief John McDonnell have the audacity to lie, when they state that LAPD does not collaborate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) when videos show otherwise. 

“There were dozens of them [LAPD officers] there this morning on 9th and Spring. They completely protected the ICE operation that kidnapped our people,” said Gochez during the press conference. 

Several videos on social media show an ICE operation on Tuesday at around 9:15 a.m.  ICE agents are detaining people, including street vendors and at least one U.S. citizen identified as Andrea Guadalupe Velez. Videos show her being taken by immigration officers and her family does not know where she is being detained. 

Activist Hamid Khan said the City of L.A. claims to be a sanctuary city, but this is “a myth and a lie.” He said LAPD shares personnel and resources 24/7 with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). 

“They [LAPD] are expected to do so. They are part of the national security police state,” he said. “So how many videos would it take to expose how LAPD protects and supports when abductions and disappearances are happening in real time?”

Khan called out LAPD officers who block off streets to “protect and defend” immigration raids happening, and the officers who have arrested community journalists documenting their actions on the street. 

He accused them of sharing information with federal agents through license plate readers, body cameras, CCTV, record management systems, real-time crime centers, fusion centers and social media, among many other mediums. 

“They talk about non-lethal weapons. Well, what about rubber bullets? Non-lethal weapons kill at least about 70 to 80 people a year all around when they are used,” he said. 

“Jim McDonnell is a racist”

Gabriel Quiroz Jr. activist and member of Centro CSO in Boyle Heights, said this is nothing new. Back in November, they protested when Bass appointed McDonnell. He served as the L.A. County Sheriff (LASD) for four years and was defeated in 2018 by then-Sheriff Alex Villanueva. 

Quiroz Jr. said McDonnell is a racist and in 2016, he deported thousands of Latinos incarcerated in L.A. County jails. 

 “We are seeing that now. Clear collaboration. We are seeing LAPD attacking immigrant rights activists on the streets,” he said. “There’s going to be tens of millions of dollars of lawsuits in the coming years because of LAPD’s actions.”

Verita Topete, another CSO member, said no one is illegal on stolen land. She advocated for another CSO member, Alejandro Orellana, a U.S. Citizen, who was detained for allegedly helping protestors by providing masks. 

“Our people are under attack and we are here to say these pigs, these agents of violence, they are not welcome in our communities,” said Topete. 

In a 2017 interview with ABC, McDonnell said LASD collaborated with ICE in order to deport “the worst of the worst.” According to the ex-sheriff, in 2016, out of 120,000 inmates released from county jails, less than 1,200 were picked by ICE for deportation. 

No arrests made by LAPD

In response to the accusations, the LAPD released a statement saying that they received a 911 call reporting a kidnapping. The caller stated that several individuals were attempting to detain people without identifying themselves, prompting concerns from bystanders. 

The department stated that the federal agents did not notify them of their planned enforcement activity in advance and LAPD responded based solely on the initial radio call reporting a potential kidnapping. 

“LAPD’s role was limited to maintaining order and public safety. Officers remained on scene to de-escalate tensions, move pedestrians out of the roadway and allow emergency vehicles safe passage,” says the statement. “No arrests were made by LAPD.”

As of Wednesday morning, the General Consul of Mexico in Los Angeles, Carlos Gonzalez Gutierrez, told Univision they have identified 113 undocumented Mexican immigrants detained. From the total, 103 are men, seven are women and 11 have been already deported.

The Mexican Consulate is offering its services to help the immigrant community through its hotline available 24/7 at (520) 623-7874.