Tensions escalated outside the Huntington Park Police Department on Monday morning after federal immigration agents reportedly arrived in the area, prompting community activists to confront them, blow whistles and demand that they leave.
According to Huntington Park officials, the agents were allegedly waiting for someone being held in police custody.
Community members quickly gathered outside the police department, using whistles and protests to voice their opposition to the agents’ presence.
“I am really proud of our community, how they protected and how they did everything possible for them to leave,” said a witness who asked not to be identified, citing concerns for their safety.
The witness said residents sprang into action as soon as they noticed the federal agents.
“That is what protesters want to do, they want to create enough noise that ICE doesn’t feel comfortable and that they can leave,” said Jonathan Sanabria, Huntington Park Vice Mayor.
Sanabria said the agents were waiting for someone in police custody and explained that federal agencies can access information entered into the police department’s database.
“We don’t tell them if we are releasing anyone, we don’t tell them any information. That’s why they were just sitting and waiting,” said Sanabria.
Huntington Park adopted a sanctuary city ordinance last year that prohibits the use of city resources to assist with federal immigration enforcement and protects residents’ personal information, including their immigration status.
“We’re on the side of the community, and we want to make sure that the community is safe,” said Sanabria.
The federal agents eventually left without detaining anyone, according to city officials.
Huntington Park officials and community activists have expressed opposition to federal immigration enforcement activity in the city. Activists say they plan to continue protesting and alerting residents whenever they spot immigration agents in the area.
“We just want to make our community safe for parents and other hardworking people in Huntington Park. If you see anything, you know, alert, let people know they are around,” said the witness.
Sanabria said community members have been communicating with one another to share information about the presence of immigration agents.
“They’rall communicating with one another to let them know where ICE is. Because what ICE is doing, to me, is not lawful. If they were going after the criminals, that’s one thing. But we have seen time and time again that they’re targeting anyone,” said Sanabria.
NBC4 reached out to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection to ask why federal agents were in the area Monday morning but had not received a response.