Concerns about immigration officials targeting public transportation, a vital component of urban life, in their efforts to carry out deportations throughout Southern California have increased in response to reports that federal agents detained commuters this week while they were seated at a Pasadena bus stop.
The Pasadena event has increased the level of anxiety and uncertainty among the thousands of Latino Angelenos who depend on the city’s extensive bus and train system to get about their everyday lives.
Some locals have begun to go underground since immigration officials began a drive in Los Angeles on June 6 to locate and apprehend undocumented immigrants. They avoid public places like churches, schools, and places of employment out of concern that they may be caught in a raid.
As many people want to get back to their regular lives, busses and trains have turned into yet another source of anxiety. Metro authorities said that since immigration enforcement actions started, bus and rail ridership has dropped by 10% to 15%.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn stated that the way ICE is conducting these sweeps is frightening individuals. This is incorrect. Our communities are suffering greatly from the dread they are inciting.
The most notable instance occurred early on Wednesday when a group of masked immigration officers approached two men who were seated at a bus stop outside the Winchell’s Donut House on Los Robles Avenue in Pasadena. For weeks, there have been online rumors regarding the presence of immigration officials at bus stops and along rail lines.
Following a brief exchange of words, one of the individuals is seen being handcuffed by an officer on camera. According to officials, six Pasadena citizens were taken into custody.
California
With fewer people living on the streets and indications of a slowdown in the economy, certain communities in Southern California are in a state of fear following a week of immigration sweeps.
In an area of the city known for Mexican restaurants, the Route 662 bus stop is close to a number of Latino businesses, about a block from an elementary school. Before going to work, local employees usually stop by the doughnut store for breakfast and coffee. Several local residents saw the incident and recorded it on film.
A witness was seen stooping behind an unmarked car that was purportedly owned by federal authorities in an attempt to take a picture of the license plate on another video of the incident. A masked man can be seen in the video getting out from the driver’s side and running toward the back of the car while brandishing a gun at the witness, who swiftly fled to the sidewalk.
Get out of our city! A resident yelled at the man with the mask. The driver turned on the car’s lights and siren and drove away as more witnesses began to approach the car with their phones out.
The arrests and widely shared footage sparked outrage, even though the early morning sweep was only one of several immigration authorities conducted in Pasadena on Wednesday.
On Thursday, a man passes a bus stop in the downtown area.
From the metro 70 bus downtown, City Hall.
In a video statement on X, state senator Sasha Ren e Prez (D-Alhambra) described the raid as “lawlessness.” This is totally out of place. It is quite risky to operate in this manner. Someone is going to suffer severe injuries.
The situation is terrible, according to Rep. Judy Chu (D-Monterey Park), whose district includes Pasadena.
In my district, these raids are utterly disgusting. They are scaring families and ruining any sense of safety in our towns while wearing masks and carrying militia-style weapons. Chu wrote in a statement, “This is not law enforcement; it is an egregious abuse of power, and I will not stand for it.”
Since the city’s scan of the license plate turned up nothing and no identity was shown in the video, Pasadena public information officer Lisa Derderian stated that authorities are still attempting to identify the person who exited the unmarked vehicle and pointed the pistol.
California
As ICE detentions continue, foot traffic has decreased in recent days at once-bustling immigrant hubs throughout Los Angeles. The raids have sparked alarm among his predominantly Latino parishioners, according to the Los Angeles Archbishop, who claimed he has been troubled.
“The city increased its law enforcement presence around bus stops and outside schools as a result of the situation,” she said.
It is our duty to keep our community safe. Naturally, we don’t want to appear to be coordinating or interfering with any federal authorities by having an overbearing presence. But once more, we do have a duty to defend, Derderian stated.
According to Michael Schneider of the advocacy group Streets for All, many people who take buses and trains do so out of necessity and may not have access to other forms of transportation.
More over 60% of bus passengers and about 50% of rail passengers are Latinx/Hispanic, according to a 2023 Metro study. Additionally, over 70% of train passengers and nearly 90% of bus passengers earn less than $50,000 each year.
According to Schneider, the majority of Metro passengers have very low household incomes. The bus is their primary means of transportation, as it is how they go to and from work. They have no other choice because they don’t have an automobile at home.
After a wave of violence on buses and trains in recent years, Metro has been attempting to restore public confidence and increase ridership.
Union Station staff and patrons said on Thursday that they have observed a minor decline in foot traffic in the past few weeks.
According to station security officer Jonathan Aros, there are fewer passengers than usual. It’s different, but I wouldn’t say it’s big.
Downtown, the Civic Center metro station’s lowest steps are deserted.
At Union Station, a lone rider gets off the redline.
On Wednesday, Hahn, who is also the chair of the Metro board, requested that Metro employees update the board on the agency’s procedures in the event that immigration officers board a bus or train.
As immigration enforcement expanded nationwide earlier this year, Hahn instructed Metro employees to collaborate with the Office of Immigration Affairs in L.A. County and intensify ongoing Know Your Rights campaigns to assist immigrant passengers and educate them about their rights when interacting with law enforcement.
In a letter to Metro Chief Executive Stephanie Wiggins, Hahn stated that it is more important than ever for our public transportation system to be a secure and welcoming environment for all. An effective strategy that could lessen the worry that many of our immigrant populations are feeling is sharing important information and campaigns that enlighten our passengers about their rights, particularly with regard to interactions with ICE and law enforcement.
California
Throughout the weekend, immigration raids in Southern California, particularly at the Santa Fe Springs Swap Meet, heightened tensions and resentment.
Riders in a variety of shop and food service clothes sat calmly staring straight ahead on Thursday morning as the Metro bus sailed over the L.A. River toward downtown, the scene of large protests and immigration raids earlier this month. There was a hushed strain aboard the almost-full bus.
A bus rider from Boyle Heights claimed that she has become increasingly tired of public transit since the raids started, but like many others, she has few other ways to get to work.
The woman, who requested anonymity because she fears being singled out by immigration authorities, stated that while some individuals are afraid, they must go to work. No matter what, there is always labor.
According to Yomara Oxlha, who works at a general shop across from a bus stop in Boyle Heights, the neighborhood has become more distrustful of public services.
Oxlha stated, “I’ve seen videos of bus drivers claiming that ICE is inside [buses].” Imagine that if I were an immigrant and [ICE] entered supermarkets, buses, trains, and shops, I wouldn’t feel at all safe leaving the house.
Boyle Heights has been quiet since the raids started on June 6, according to Oxlha. Many have now begun to dreadfully return to their schedules since they have little other options for providing for their family.
Sophia, a Boyle s Height resident, waited patiently on Thursday at the bus stop she has taken nearly every day for years. The woman, who declined to provide her last name out of fear she could be targeted by immigration officials, told The Times in Spanish that she s become more acutely aware of her surroundings.
For nearly a week, Sophia hesitated to leave her home and her family has lived in a constant state of uncertainty. But now, she must finally get back to her normal schedule, she said.
The fear of going out to look for a dream is now a nightmare, Sophia said in Spanish. It s very sad this is all happening.
Staff writer Rong-Gong Lin II contributed to this report.
