More than 30 people marched to the East Los Angeles Sheriff’s Station last Monday, chanting against what they called ongoing collaboration between local deputies and federal immigration agents, as sheriff’s personnel locked the station’s doors and strung yellow tape to keep the crowd back. Protesters banged on the glass doors anyway, demanding answers at a building that is supposed to remain open to the public.
The October 26 demonstration was organized by Centro CSO, according to Fight Back! News, which reported that online videos showed masked ICE agents staging in the parking lot directly in front of the station. The outlet also reported that at least three people were kidnapped by masked ICE agents near the station in October, and that one person was kidnapped by ICE on October 31 after being released from sheriff’s department custody — an incident the article presented as evidence of ongoing collaboration between the two agencies. Those accounts have not been independently corroborated, and neither ICE nor the Department of Homeland Security has responded to the specific allegations in the available record.
Sheriff’s Department Denies Civil Immigration Role
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department maintains it plays no part in civil immigration enforcement. We do not engage in civil immigration enforcement which is the role of the federal government, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department states on its website. California and Los Angeles County both have laws and policies intended to limit or ban local police collaboration with federal ICE agents, though the evidence available does not establish whether the conduct described at the East LA station violated those policies. Under the state’s Values Act, an official may cooperate with immigration authorities only if doing so would not violate federal, state, or local law or local policy, according to the text posted by California Legislative Information.
Speakers at the protest included members of Centro CSO, the Check the Sheriff Coalition, and the Boyle Heights Immigrant Rights Network, per the Fight Back! News account. Emiliano Martin del Campo told the crowd that the public has a right to know how the community is policed, who is policing it, and how resources are used, and said ICE and sheriff collaboration must stop immediately to protect the community from further harm. Brianna Mosqueda said Centro CSO would continue demanding that the East Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department stop collaborating with ICE.
Nods to a Decades-Old Nickname and Fresh Grievances
Verita Topete, chair of Centro CSO’s immigration committee, said raza in Aztlán have faced criminalization and deportation targeting across generations and reject national oppression. Marchers chanted “La migra, la policía, la misma porquería!” as they approached the station. Attendees said deputies would stop protests but ignore masked ICE agents kidnapping people from the public park outside, according to the report…