A planned Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation in Alhambra on Sunday was disrupted when local activists intervened, prompting federal agents to leave the area without making arrests.
The operation, which also involved the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the FBI, took place in a Target parking lot on W. Main Street, but Union del Barrio—a long-standing pro-immigrant activist group—mobilized quickly to challenge the agents’ presence.
Alhambra police confirmed that the FBI had notified them about the multi-agency task force, which was coordinating nearby arrests. However, Union del Barrio activists, who routinely patrol neighborhoods to monitor law enforcement, had already stationed themselves in the area. Reports indicate that five ICE vehicles were present when the activists arrived, using loudspeakers to demand the agents leave.
The protest reportedly ended with ICE and other federal officers departing the scene without detaining anyone. Target employees and customers were largely unaware of the incident, and corporate officials stated that no store operations were disrupted.
Alhambra, a self-declared “sanctuary city,” has reaffirmed its policies limiting local cooperation with federal immigration authorities, though city officials were unavailable for comment.
Ron Gochez, a representative of Union del Barrio, claimed their presence and rapid response prevented arrests. “Our people had megaphones, and they called for backup of our folks, and they went to both locations,” he stated.
ICE, however, denied that the operation was a broad enforcement sweep, insisting it was an intelligence-driven effort targeting individuals with criminal records. The agency cited recent arrests in Pomona and Vista of individuals charged with DUIs as examples of their enforcement actions.
Gochez disputed ICE’s claims, arguing that the agency routinely detains undocumented individuals without criminal backgrounds.
“We are super happy to report that once the agents saw that they were being recorded, and that people were alerting the community with megaphones, nobody was taken and those ICE agents they retreated and left the community,” Gochez added.
This incident underscores ongoing tensions between federal immigration authorities and activist groups in California, particularly in sanctuary cities like Alhambra, where community resistance to ICE operations remains strong.
