At least 11 people were detained and abducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Long Beach and Wilmington on Thursday, according to multiple reports from local organizations.
According to ÓRALE (Organizing Rooted in Abolition, Liberation and Empowerment), masked agents wearing tactical gear and vests reading “police” began abducting people as early as 9 a.m.
Long Beach rapid responders with ÓRALE documented at least eight ICE sightings and abductions in Long Beach on Thursday:
- 9 a.m. at Polly’s Pies (3490 Atlantic Ave.)
- 10:12 a.m. at The Light of the World Church (785 Junipero Ave.)
- 10:30 a.m. at Cherry Donuts (1500 Cherry Ave.)
- 10:50 a.m. at Anaheim Street and Dawson Avenue
- 11 a.m. at Pacific Coast Highway and Walnut Avenue
- 11 a.m. at Pacific Coast Highway and Gaviota Avenue
- 11:30 a.m. at Farmers & Merchants Bank (2302 N. Bellflower Blvd.)
- 11:25 a.m. at 11th Street and Orange Avenue
ICE was also documented in Wilmington on Anaheim Street and McDonald Avenue, where they took two people at 9:03 a.m. Those agents were also masked and wearing tactical gear. The day prior, ICE was spotted at the Home Depot location in Lakewood Center, where they took two people, according to ÓRALE.
LA Taco reported that at least 11 people were taken from Long Beach and Wilmington. ÓRALE is asking anyone who witnessed the raids or knows the people who were taken contact them, so their families can receive legal aid and basic needs assistance.
Stop ICE Net also reported men in masks and vests reading “Border Patrol Federal Agent” detained someone at a bus stop on Anaheim Street and Caspian Avenue at 11 a.m., and another attempted abduction occurred on Anaheim Street and St. Louis Avenue at 10:43 a.m.
Rapid responders reported multiple men in masks and vests “chasing a small child through Rose Park.” According to responders, they weren’t able to catch the child and instead ended up detaining a landscaper on Junipero Avenue and Eighth Street at around 4:30 p.m.
In one video taken by community organizers, a gardener employed by local business Polly’s Pies was chased into the restaurant, tackled to the ground, handcuffed by three masked men and taken out of the restaurant. In the video, a Long Beach police officer can be seen standing idly by while viewing the incident.
Polly’s Pies released a statement saying the officer was already in the restaurant as a customer, and said the officer and employees “tried to diffuse the situation.”
In a statement to the Signal Tribune, the Long Beach Police Department (LBPD) said three officers were taking their meal break in Polly’s Pies when they saw law enforcement run into the restaurant. Once they realized it was ICE, they “did not intervene or engage in the activity.”
“As a reminder, the Long Beach Police Department does not enforce civil immigration laws, participate in civil immigration enforcement, or obstruct lawful federal enforcement activities,” said LBPD sergeant Laurie Barajas in an email to the Signal Tribune.
The Signal Tribune asked how Long Beach officers confirmed that the men chasing the Long Beach worker were law enforcement. Communications staff Allison Gallagher said that the men had visible CBP (Customs and Border Protection) patches and vests.
Mayor Rex Richardson released a video on social media denouncing the raids, calling them “dehumanizing” and “absolutely unacceptable.”
Residents have been asking the City to do more to defend its residents from these attacks since they began on June 6. At a city council meeting on Nov. 18, after a resident asked councilmembers to get ICE out of Long Beach, Richardson responded, “We’re open to ideas, been working on it.”
Meanwhile, ÓRALE is asking residents to join their rapid response network, which tracks, documents and responds to ICE sightings daily, then connects people and families to resources like legal aid. Residents who want to volunteer to be a rapid responder can sign up at this link.
ÓRALE shared additional tips for residents who want to help defend their community:
Patrol your neighborhood: You know your neighborhood best, and can spot strange activity like vehicles that don’t belong, have blacked out windows or unmarked or paper license plates.
If you see ICE activity: Make noise and ask them why they’re detaining people, if they have warrants, etc.
The Signal Tribune is working to gather fundraising information to support the families impacted by these and other ICE raids. We are also searching for any information on the people taken in order to tell their story and track their case, so they are not forgotten or made to be only a statistic.
If you have any information please contact us at Newspaper@SignalTribune.com.
