'We’re not going away': DHS vows to stay in LA as ICE arrests spread to churches, schools
Federal immigration agents have been conducting sweeping raids across Los Angeles and Southern California, with DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and ICE leadership insisting they are targeting criminals, "bad actors," and "the worst of the worst" — while community members, local officials, and witness accounts describe a very different reality, with people being detained at churches, hospitals, schools, agricultural fields, and during routine court check-ins. Mayor Karen Bass and community organizations say residents are afraid to leave their homes, get food, or see a doctor, with one pastor describing his community feeling "hunted" and "kidnapped," and immigrant rights advocates accusing federal agents of widespread racial profiling. Noem, during a Thursday press conference, dismissed concerns about non-criminal detainees by stating that entering the country illegally is itself a crime, and promised the federal presence in Los Angeles would continue and intensify, with acting ICE Director Todd Lyons and Border Patrol Chief Greg Bovino echoing that agents are "not going anywhere." The raids have sparked days of protests across Southern California, with community organizations warning that the crackdown is not only terrorizing immigrant families but also defunding the legal service organizations that help vulnerable people navigate the immigration system.]