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A series of raids by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) targeting day laborers at Home Depot parking lots has ignited protests and placed the home improvement giant at the center of a national immigration debate. The enforcement actions have become more frequent under the Trump administration's stated goals of mass deportation.
In one widely reported incident in Pomona, California, federal agents arrived in marked and unmarked vehicles and detained between 15 and 20 day laborers as they gathered for work. Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis confirmed the detentions, stating her office was alerted by community members about the federal presence. The morning operation caused fear and confusion among workers, many of whom have long used the location to find employment.
This was not an isolated event. Similar enforcement actions have been documented in multiple cities, including Chicago, Baltimore, and Sacramento. Stores in the Los Angeles metro area, such as a location in Van Nuys, have reportedly become frequent targets, with one lot being raided at least five times over the summer. This pattern suggests a coordinated strategy focusing on these informal labor hubs.
The raids have triggered a swift response, with protests from immigrant rights advocates and labor organizations like the National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON). Activists are calling on Home Depot to prevent ICE from using its property for enforcement and to declare its parking lots as sanctuary spaces. The ongoing situation has also led to calls for a boycott of the company, pressuring it to take a definitive stance against the raids occurring on its premises. As of now, Home Depot has found itself associated with the contentious immigration crackdown, facing demands from both activists and the federal government's enforcement agenda.
