During a series of coordinated operations last week, U.S. immigration authorities conducted extensive sweeps in Los Angeles’ Fashion District, Boyle Heights, and Pico-Union, detaining a significant number of immigrants. These events forcefully recalled painful memories from the past for Bryant Odega, who is now a public school teacher in Los Angeles. As a young boy, he was forced to watch his Nigerian immigrant father be deported from an airport – a beginning that is seared into Odega’s consciousness. ‘Witnessing these recent scenes that are essentially tantamount to kidnapping is a disturbing reminder of what I experienced back then,’ recounts the 27-year-old educator.
These immigration operations were not just personally unnerving for individuals like Odega, but they also roused a wider reaction within the Los Angeles County, known for being home to one of the largest populations of undocumented migrants in the U.S. Public outrage became palpable across the region and resulted in mass demonstrations over the weekend. Particularly significant was the fact that the identities of those participating spoke volumes about broader social divides. The heated protests held outside the Federal Building downtown were teeming with thousands, while many chose to stay indoors.
The local police response was met with a surge of tension as tear gas and flash-bang grenades flew through the crowds. In reprisal, the demonstrators retaliated with fireworks aimed at the law enforcement lines. An economically and politically powerful city, Los Angeles was thrown into further turmoil on Sunday night when President Donald Trump responded by deploying over 4,000 National Guard troops, along with 700 Marines, to suppress the unrest.
The actions of law enforcement prompted questions that extended beyond immigration policy alone for Black Angelenos. At the forefront was the debate over who has the right to claim residency in this city, a question of belonging that has stirred tensions for decades. Conversations erupted across social media and within homes throughout what is seen as the largest county in the U.S, predominantly centered around solidarity, displacement, and complex racial dynamics that have been evolving and shaping Los Angeles over several decades.
However, what raised eyebrows was the conspicuous absence of Black activists who had been pioneering similar resistance movements in the recent past. One social media user warned, ‘Black people should exercise caution. This is not your fight.’ Demographically speaking, some areas now under intense scrutiny by immigration enforcement were once predominantly Black neighborhoods, before shifts over several decades saw them change into largely Latino communities.
A number of Black residents articulated similar sentiments, experiencing a sense of disconnect and the belief that the onslaught on migrant communities was not their battle, stemming from their personal history of displacement. Odega notes, ‘There is a prevailing trend of disengagement among the Black demographic, who view this onslaught as a Hispanic issue. This reflects a violent culture that encourages acquiescence when we witness maltreatment, primarily due to the fact that we ourselves feel violated.’
An intriguing demographic fact about the LA area is that it is the sole American region where previously majority-Black neighborhoods have transformed into majority-Latino areas. This transition has occasionally sparked racial tensions between the groups. As Odega points out, ‘Growing up in South LA, the initial experiences of anti-Black discrimination came from Latinos, so it is easy to grasp how these evolving circumstances have led to divisions.’
The allocation of responsibilities and roles amongst different races during these protests brings to light an infrequently acknowledged fact about immigration enforcement: Black immigrants face a notably higher rate of deportation compared to other immigrant groups. This makes the issue of ICE raids as pertinent for Black people as it is for Latinos. This unfamiliar perspective led to Adrienne Spires, an LA-based mental health professional, to express her belief in a potential misinterpretation surrounding the role of Black people in the ongoing situation.
‘Historically, Black individuals have consistently been at the forefront of struggles – yet their muted voices in the current situation should not be misconstrued as a lack of care or support,’ explained Spires. She added, ‘There are multiple complex factors that influenced the decision to step back this time.’ Of note is that over four million Black immigrants reside in the U.S., constituting 20% of the national Black population. California ranks sixth in terms of the Black immigrant population, with 60,000 Black immigrants based in LA alone.
An additional complexity is that when U.S.-born Black people are expelled from neighborhoods – a trend observed in LA over several decades – the Black immigrant population in these areas tends to increase, resulting in potential friction between the U.S.-born Black community and Black immigrants. This underscores the fact that irrespective of their citizenship status, Black people face disproportionate scrutiny from law enforcement agencies.
Nationwide estimates suggest that there are about 582,300 Black undocumented immigrants, representing 5.6% of the overall undocumented population. Strikingly, more than 1 in 5 noncitizens facing deportations founded on criminal convictions identify as Black. This means that Black individuals face deportation four times more often than their population numbers would suggest. Minor offenses or even just a traffic stop could invariably result in deportation—a reality that other immigrant communities do not face.
Moreover, reports indicate a troubling trend within Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention centers where Black immigrants are reported to be twice as likely to suffer abuse at the hands of guards and staff. Thus, Odega stresses, the decision to participate in these protests for Black Angelenos is less about image superiority and more about the survival instincts in a city where they themselves have been displaced once. ‘If Latinos can be targeted like this by the government, it could happen to Black folks too,’ warns Odega.
The protests that began on Friday night have now resulted in hundreds of arrests. Charges leveled against the protesters range from assault with a deadly weapon on law enforcement officers and attempted murder with a Molotov cocktail, to arson and looting. Initially set in motion to obstruct the federal deportation vehicles, the demonstrations have morphed into a wider resistance movement, demanding a halt to Trump’s deportation strategy. The core demand of the protesters is to put an end to what they believe to be a federal overreach.
In a statement, NAACP Legal Defense Fund President, Janai S. Nelson, said, ‘The dangerous and unnecessary escalation, in association with the Trump Administration’s widespread attempt to criminalize immigrants, particularly immigrants of color, is very concerning.’ The President’s warning that this military action could be just the beginning if anti-ICE protests erupt in other cities has heightened the tension.
In response to the federal troops’ deployment, California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass have vowed to launch a joint legal and political counteroffensive. Alleging that President Trump’s move to call in the National Guard and Marines circumvents both the Constitution and state sovereignty, Newsom has taken his fight to federal court. But despite their vigorous efforts, the leaders faced a demoralizing defeat on Tuesday when their request for an emergency restraining order was turned down by U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer, allowing federal troops to stay on LA’s streets for a few more days