LA ICE raids anniversary events brought protesters back to downtown Los Angeles this week, one year after a federal immigration operation at a Korean-owned apparel company sparked a wave of enforcement actions that reshaped the city’s immigrant communities.
The June 6, 2025 raid on Ambiance, a Korean-owned clothing manufacturer in LA’s Fashion District, marked the beginning of a broader immigration crackdown that later spread throughout Southern California.
What started as a workplace enforcement action quickly evolved into one of the region’s most controversial immigration campaigns, leaving lasting economic and emotional scars on workers, families, and business owners.
Protesters Return to the Site One Year Later
To mark the LA ICE raids anniversary, demonstrators gathered June 6 outside the Metropolitan Detention Center near Temple and Aliso streets in downtown Los Angeles.
Participants called for an end to ongoing immigration enforcement operations and demanded additional support for families affected by detentions and deportations. Organizers argued that the raid on Ambiance became the starting point of a much larger enforcement effort that disrupted thousands of immigrant households across Southern California. As the demonstration grew throughout the afternoon, some protesters moved into nearby roadways, temporarily blocking traffic and creating confrontations with law enforcement.
According to the Los Angeles Police Department, demonstrators occupied lanes along Alameda Street and repeatedly entered traffic areas, creating hazardous conditions. Federal authorities reportedly began making arrests shortly before 4 p.m., and police later declared the gathering an unlawful assembly around 8 p.m. before ordering participants to disperse.
Officials said six people were arrested during the protest.
Families Say the Pain Has Not Faded
Among those attending was a protester whose father was detained during immigration operations last year.
“Watching my father get taken away while we could do nothing remains one of the most traumatic experiences our family has ever faced,” the individual said. Veronica Alvarado of the Warehouse Worker Resource Center said the anniversary served as a reminder that many families continue to struggle with the consequences of immigration enforcement. “We came back because we refuse to accept this as normal,” Alvarado said. “This anniversary reminds us that the hardship is still ongoing.”
Business owners in LA’s Fashion District also say the impact remains visible.
Mike Song, who witnessed the aftermath of the Ambiance raid, said the neighborhood has never fully recovered. “A year has passed, but it’s still difficult to get used to how quiet parts of the Fashion District have become,” Song said. “Everyone hopes things will return to how they used to be, but that doesn’t seem likely anytime soon.”
A Continuing Debate Over Immigration Enforcement
The protest followed a separate anniversary event attended by Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and representatives from the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights.
CHIRLA Executive Director Angelica Salas said the anniversary remains a powerful symbol for immigrant rights advocates. “One year after immigration enforcement shook communities across Los Angeles, our message remains clear,” Salas said. “We remember, we resist, and we recommit ourselves to justice and dignity for all Angelenos.”
For many residents, the LA ICE raids anniversary is more than a remembrance of a single workplace raid. It has become a symbol of an ongoing debate over immigration enforcement, community trust, and the future of immigrant families in Southern California.
