Los Angeles leaders and immigration advocates gathered for a downtown news conference on Friday to warn that a recent surge in federal immigration enforcement operations appears designed to intimidate immigrant communities and suppress voter turnout ahead of the midterm elections.
Speaking just 18 days before the election date, advocates argued that the timing of the enforcement actions is intentional. Jeannette Zanipatin, policy director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA), stated that the tactics seek to silence immigrant communities, suppress civic participation, and divide neighborhoods. Angelica Salas, CHIRLA’s executive director, announced that her organization and others will deploy legal observers to polling places across the state as part of the Can’t Stop California campaign.
Salas urged residents not to let intimidation affect their participation, emphasizing California’s identity as a progressive, pro-immigrant state. She also noted that groups have observed an increase in detentions by immigration officials this summer compared with the previous year.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which oversees Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), pushed back against the criticism. DHS spokesperson Chandler Rebel stated that individuals who are in the country legally and are not breaking other laws have nothing to fear. Rebel added a warning directed at noncitizens participating in elections, stating that authorities will find, arrest, and prosecute those individuals, facing consequences including criminal charges and deportation.
Federal officials have previously addressed the issue of enforcement near election sites. Sending armed federal agents to polls is illegal, and DHS has previously stated that it would not deploy agents to voting locations, dismissing contrary rhetoric as fearmongering. In May, President Trump remarked that he would do anything necessary to ensure honest elections when questioned about sending immigration agents to voting sites. Mail-in ballots have already been distributed in California and can be returned ahead of Election Day on November 3, but advocates remain concerned that heightened raid activity will deter voters from casting ballots in person.
The DHS declined to discuss specific reports of increased ICE activity in California, citing operational security and the safety of officers.
The friction between federal authorities and California officials extends beyond immigration enforcement. On Thursday, the Justice Department filed a lawsuit against California over allegations of voter fraud, accusing the state of counting ballots from individuals identified as likely noncitizens.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass used Friday’s press event to pledge protection for immigrants and accused the administration of utilizing immigration raids as a political distraction. Bass pointed to rising prices resulting from tariffs and high gas prices tied to the conflict in Iran, asserting that the federal government is putting immigrant communities at risk to change the subject. Bass recommended that fearful voters utilize mail-in ballots to bypass in-person voting and noted that she is working to increase local protections, including utilizing the Los Angeles Police Department to document federal enforcement activity.
Local representatives also highlighted the immediate impact on neighborhoods. Councilmember Imelda Padilla reported that her district, encompassing the northeast San Fernando Valley, has experienced the most severe effects of the enforcement surge. Padilla pointed to circulating video footage capturing what she described as the chaos and unprofessionalism affecting local communities. She urged residents to support one another during the heightened raid activity by offering rides to those afraid to drive or use public transit, delivering groceries, and walking neighbors’ children to school.
