On June 6, 2025, federal immigration officers stormed a Home Depot in Westlake and the Ambiance Apparel warehouse in downtown Los Angeles, detaining hundreds of day laborers and low‑wage workers. The operation sparked more than 14,000 arrests across the county,most of them for people with no criinal record, and left a lingering climate of fear that still shapes daily life for many Angelenos.

June 6, 2025 Home Depot raid in Westlake ignites mass arrests

Witnesses described agents handcuffing workers and loading them into vans, a scene that quickly spread across social media and prompted immediate protests. According to local advocates, the raid was the catalyst for a series of enforcement actions that, over the following months, resulted in over 14,000 detentions throughout Los Angeles County. The sheer scale of the operation has drawn criticism from civil‑rights groups, who argue that the majority of those taken were undocumented laborers without prior criminal histories.

14,000 arrests across Los Angeles County fuel economic distress

Businesses in the fashion district reported a sharp downturn, with Ambiance Apparel seeing an estimated 50% drop in sales after the raid. The loss of workers also hit surrounding shops, where owners now report chronic staffing shortages and reduced customer traffic. As the report notes, families were torn apart, and many households now struggle to meet basic needs, prompting neighbors to organize grocery runs and rides for schoolchildren.

Angelica Salas outlines community response and ongoing activism

Nonprofit leader Angelica Salas, executive director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, said the community has refused to be silenced, emphasizing that “fear did not defeat the community, cruelty did not divide them,and militarization did not silence them.” She highlighted a series of events planned for June and July aimed at spotlighting the lingering impact on car washers, custodians and other vulnerable workers.

Who will be held accountable for the raids?

While the Department of Homeland Security denies any mistreatment in detention facilities,activists continue to demand answers about the decision‑making chain that led to the June 6 operation. Specific unanswered points include whether any federal officials will face congressional scrutiny and how the alleged labeling of U.S. citizens as domestic terrorists will be addressed.

Students march, families stay resilient amid lingering fear

At Olive Vista Middle School in Sylmar, roughly 100 students walked out of class to protest the raids, with an 11‑year‑old explaining that critics “do not understand how much they love their parents.” The protest underscores how the enforcement wave has permeated even the youngest members of the community, reinforcing a broader narrative of collective resistance.