Shadow Patrol: How a Los angeles Group is Documenting ICE Activity and Challenging Local Politics
A grassroots group in Los Angeles is taking matters into its own hands, directly monitoring and documenting the activities of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in their communities. Driven by concerns over escalating immigration enforcement and a perceived failure of political leadership, these volunteers are forming a “peace patrol” to observe and record ICE operations, a response sparked by a recent incident involving armed individuals believed to be connected to immigration enforcement.
The incident, which occurred in late August, involved individuals in civilian clothing, suspected of being involved in ICE operations, who where reportedly seen attempting to detain people. A local resident reported the presence of the gunmen to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). According to LAPD Captain Gazsi, the report was relayed through supervisors, but by the time officers arrived, “everybody was gone.”
This incident,and the perceived lack of a robust response,has fueled distrust and a sense of urgency within the community. It also highlights a growing tension between the rhetoric of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and the actions of the LAPD. Mayor Bass has publicly condemned federal immigration enforcement, labeling ICE raids a “reign of terror” and issuing an executive directive aimed at limiting city resources – including the LAPD – from assisting in immigration enforcement unless legally mandated.
However, videos provided to journalists by Unión del Barrio appear to contradict this stance. The footage shows LAPD officers present at multiple ICE operations, not actively hindering enforcement, but seemingly providing a security presence. In one video from June 24th, officers are seen holding back a crowd attempting to intervene as immigration agents detain individuals. In another, from August 13th, an LAPD officer explicitly states the department “provides security” for Homeland Security Investigations (H.S.I.) and confirms a history of collaboration on “many occasions.”
This perceived discrepancy between political promises and on-the-ground reality is driving a shift in tactics for activists like Suzuki Daniels. After years of customary political engagement, Daniels now believes “no politician is going to save us.” She is redirecting her efforts towards “direct action and mutual aid,” focusing on community-led responses to the perceived threat.
The group’s efforts echo a history of resistance in the Los Angeles harbor area, specifically on Terminal Island. During World War II, the U.S. government forcibly removed and incarcerated Japanese American fishermen from the thriving fishing village of Furusato.Gina, a member of the current volunteer group whose grandfather was a Sicilian immigrant who fished alongside Japanese fishermen, recounted how the non-Japanese community offered protection during that period, recognizing the injustice of the government’s actions.
Standing before a memorial statue depicting Japanese fishermen, Gina drew a direct parallel between the past persecution and the current climate.”This is white supremacy, once again, trying to take a foothold-it’s full fascism,” she said, pointing to the statue of fishermen seemingly watching the federal complex, “watching them come and go,” as if maintaining their own vigil.
The volunteers’ “peace patrol” represents a growing trend of community-based monitoring and a rejection of reliance on traditional political channels, born from a deep-seated fear and a determination to document and challenge what they see as an escalating threat to their communities.
