An immigration raid begins in LA as the organization’s tactics change. Arrests happen in ‘as fast as 30 seconds’

At a recent training session for 300 immigration activists in Los Angeles, the main topic was Minnesota and changes in the organization’s immigration tactics.

In the past few months, law enforcement has intensified their efforts to find and deport immigrants suspected of being in the country illegally. They have used children as a barrier, going from house to house and sometimes forcibly raiding people’s homes without the permission of the law.

But it was the fatal shot of Renee Good again Alex Prettitwo US citizens protesting immigration raids in Minnesota, sparking a growing backlash against the federal government’s brutal actions and prompting activists to rethink their approach to immigration and Customs enforcement.

“One quick note about going down,” Joseline Garcia, director of public safety for City Council District 1, told the crowd in St. Paul’s Commons at Echo Park. “What we would do when the rate drops is to tell people about their rights, try to get their information and try to consult with ICE agents and pressure them to leave.”

“Things have changed a lot in the last two months, so it’s not something we’re willing to risk you doing,” he added. “There is danger here and we always encourage people to stay safe and please always do your risk assessment.”

The crackdown on immigrants began in Los Angeles last summer but has continued in the region even after the national focus shifted to Chicago and now Minneapolis. In the past month there has been a new series of arrests and actions that have left local communities on edge.

Although the scope of the sweep and the number of arrests in Los Angeles appear to be lower compared to last summer, daily immigration activities are documented throughout the city, from street corners in Boyle Heights to downtown LA’s Fashion District.

A spokesman for the Department of Public Safety did not respond to The Times’ requests for comment. In a previous statement, the Department said that the Border Patrol continues to work in the city to “arrest and remove the most serious criminals who come to the country illegally.”

Earlier this month, renewed fear spread among shoppers in the Fashion District after that federal agents conducted an immigration sweep which closed down local trade to check the identity of merchants. Days later a federal agent opened fire at the suspectthat Department of Homeland Security agents raided his car while trying to escape arrest, during an operation in South Los Angeles.

Immigration activists say they have seen a change in the tactics of immigration agents. This change forced the activists to adjust their tactics as well.

“What we’re seeing now is a large number of police arresting anywhere from one to five people, not questioning them, and then leaving very quickly,” said Juan Pablo Orjuela-Parra, labor justice organizer with the National Day Laborer Organizing Network.

Maribel C., director of Órale, a Long Beach-based immigration advocacy group founded in 2006, said Long Beach first responder volunteers have reported similar tactics by immigration agents.

“In as little as 30 seconds” a target can be “literally taken off the streets” by government workers, leaving no time for a quick-response volunteer to pass on “know your rights” information or get the name of a detainee, said Maribel, who would not give his full name to protect his safety.

Immigrant rights advocates say one thing that hasn’t changed is that officials continue to arrest immigrants without a criminal history.

On Jan. 20, one year into the second term of the Trump administration, the US Department of Homeland Security said about 70% of the population those the agency arrested have been convicted or charged with a crime in the United States.

In the first nine months of the raids on immigration officials, from January 1 to October 15, a Times analysis of ICE arrests across the country found that percentage was roughly the same.

In Los Angeles, a similar analysis found that of more than 10,000 Los Angeles residents who were arrested on immigration charges, approximately 45% were charged with a crime and an additional 14% had pending charges.

Between June and October of last year, the number of detainees has fluctuated greatly.

Arrests peaked in June when 2,500 people were arrested – including 2,500 awaiting criminal charges or charged with immigration violations – but by the following month the number had dropped to just over 2,000. After further reductions, the lowest number of arrests occurred in September, with over 1,000 arrests and then a dramatic drop in October to less than 500 arrests.

Officials have not released detailed information since then.

“I think what happened in Minnesota scares everyone in the country because those tactics used in Minnesota will be tactics that will be used in other places,” said Maribel.

After the second shooting of an American citizen by federal officials, the Trump administration is reducing its presence in Minneapolis and continues to remove Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino from his post, with border adviser Tom Homan taking his place.

Bovino led and participated in highly visible immigration activities in Los Angeles, Chicago, Charlotte, NC, and Minneapolis, sparking outrage and mass protests.

At a training event held in Echo Park, organizers said recent events in Minnesota are disturbing and forcing them to reconsider the safety of activists protesting or documenting immigration raids. Those activities will continue, they said, but the focus will be on security.

“In the last two weeks, we have seen that they are escalating to the point of killing people who are exercising their rights,” said Garcia.