Weather 
EAGLE ROCK, LOS ANGELES () — Minneapolis has become a flashpoint for protests against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and its tactics. The raids and protests continue across the country, including in Southern California.
Social media posts on Monday alerted residents to ICE activity around Los Angeles, including near the Eagle Rock Plaza.
In Highland Park, community members say immigration agents arrested a food vendor Monday morning.
“There was an empty taco stand, his van and many people from the neighborhood were helping put all the stuff away into the van so it could be taken and brought back to his family,” said Darren Golt, who witnessed the aftermath of the arrest.
Residents in Los Angeles’ Silver Lake neighborhood said an immigration arrest occurred on Friday. Video of the incident shows a person on the ground being placed in handcuffs.
A woman who asked that her face and name not be shared said the man seen being taken away by immigration agents is her godfather, Rafael.
She and other neighbors say Rafael has been a fixture in the neighborhood for about 40 years, collecting recyclables and doing handyman work.
She noted that family and neighbors have hope that Rafael will be OK as they try to secure an attorney for him.
The goddaughter said Rafael saw immigration agents chasing two other men, became scared and ran. Rafael was the one who was caught and taken into custody.
Over the weekend in Downey, immigration agents detained nearly a dozen people. In a written statement to Eyewitness News, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said, “On January 10, Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) conducted a targeted immigration operation in Downey, California, resulting in the arrest of 11 illegal aliens from Mexico and El Salvador that have all broken the immigration laws of the nation.”
Several incidents involving immigration agents were reported on Saturday in Downey, including activity captured on video in a Home Depot parking lot.
In another incident in Downey, video shows the attempted detention of two landscapers.
Witnesses say two landscapers were confronted and grabbed by what appears to be immigration agents as they tried to take them into custody. As neighbors began to come outside, the landscapers were released, and the agents drove away.
In the video, an agent inside a car was seen pointing a gas canister at people on the street who were filming.
New video of an attempted immigration detention in Downey as tensions remain high across the country following the deadly ICE shooting in Minneapolis.
Neighbors say one of the landscapers has a green card and has lived in the U.S. for 40 years. The other has a valid work permit that he was carrying with him at the time.
Eyewitness News spoke with Victor Correa, who shot cellphone video of the Downey arrests.
“Stay active. Be vigilant. Be an active witness. Create awareness. Don’t be afraid to get up close. Now obviously, don’t interfere, but make sure that you’re trying to see why they’re detaining them, if they have a warrant, ask the people what their name is. Because if they are detained, we want to get their information so we can pass it along to their families. We don’t want this happening anymore in our city,” Correa said.
In a statement, Downey councilmember Mario Trujillo said the city was not given any warning that immigration agents were coming in this weekend, and he noted that city police are not helping immigration agents.
© 2026 Television,
