Why Los Angeles Is Ground Zero for Protests Against Immigration Raids
- Rahaman Hadisur
- Jun 11
- 3 min read
Hadisur Rahman, JadeTimes Staff
H. Rahman is a Jadetimes news reporter covering the USA
As federal immigration raids intensify across the United States, no city has responded with more visible outrage and organized resistance than Los Angeles. The reasons lie deep within the region's unique racial, ethnic, and demographic fabric.
Home to nearly 10 million residents, Los Angeles County accounts for over 27% of California’s population and spans more than 4,000 square miles, including cities like Pasadena, Long Beach, and Santa Monica. According to U.S. Census data, one-third of the county's population is foreign-born, with the city of Los Angeles alone housing more than 3.9 million people, over 35% of whom were born outside the United States.
This remarkable diversity influences nearly every aspect of civic life. More than 56% of Angelenos speak a language other than English at home, predominantly Spanish, while over 1.8 million identify as Hispanic or Latino. An additional half a million residents identify as Asian, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander.
Dr. Manuel Pastor, a professor of sociology at the University of Southern California and director of the USC Equity Research Institute, emphasizes that nearly half of L.A. County's workforce is foreign-born, and around 60% of children have at least one immigrant parent. He estimates that one in five county residents is either undocumented or lives with someone who is.
“These people are deeply settled here,” Pastor said. “They’re part of the community working, raising families, attending churches.”
A 2020 USC Dornsife study estimated that about 900,000 undocumented immigrants live in Los Angeles, many of whom have been in the U.S. for over a decade. Numerous families are “mixed status,” with some members citizens and others not. That same year, 60% of newly eligible young voters had at least one immigrant parent.
These demographic realities have laid “fertile ground” for confrontation with federal enforcement policies, particularly under administrations seeking to make an example of immigrant communities. Despite official rhetoric about targeting criminals, critics argue that ICE actions often sweep up everyday workers and parents.
“The spectacle of enforcement is easier here,” Pastor explained. “You’re more likely to see someone removed from a school pickup line or a job site than from a prison.”
Public reaction has been swift and passionate. Mass protests erupted across Los Angeles in response to recent ICE raids, especially in areas with high concentrations of immigrants. Experts say this is not just about immigration status it’s about community identity and cohesion.
“There’s a ‘chilling effect’ on people who are not themselves targeted but who feel connected to the affected communities,” said Tim Bruckner, professor of public health at UC Irvine. He points out that this sense of fear and solidarity stretches beyond family or friends it ripples across neighborhoods.
Economic and educational factors also contribute. Many undocumented immigrants hold low-wage jobs and have limited formal education, making them especially vulnerable to raids. Downtown Los Angeles, one of the epicenters of enforcement, is home to a large immigrant workforce.
The political climate in Los Angeles also plays a crucial role. In the 2024 election, the county overwhelmingly supported Democratic nominee Kamala Harris, who won 65% of the vote over Donald Trump’s 32%. Democratic registration outpaces Republican registration by 3 to 1, and key leaders including Governor Gavin Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass are vocal advocates for immigrant rights.
“Even people who aren’t far-left value the contributions immigrants make,” Pastor noted. “From Korean taco trucks to construction workers rebuilding homes after wildfires immigrants are woven into the fabric of daily life.”
The consequences of immigration enforcement in such a region could be severe. One-third of the residential construction workforce in L.A. is undocumented, Pastor added. “If we’re going to recover from the wildfires, deporting this labor force is not a relief strategy.”
As L.A. grapples with the dual crises of immigration crackdowns and natural disasters, its residents immigrant and native-born alike appear united in one message: This is not just a political issue. It’s a human one.
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