By Angelica C. Gualpa
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and U.S. Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Long Beach, Signal Hill, Lakewood, Bellflower), Ranking Member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, held a congressional field hearing in Downtown Los Angeles dubbed, “Due Process for All: Exposing Trump’s Mass Deportation Machine.”
More than 200 residents, immigration advocates and elected officials told harrowing stories of documented unlawful detentions and abuses by federal immigration agents around Los Angeles County.
As of last month, federal authorities had arrested more than 7,100 undocumented immigrants in the Los Angeles area since June 6, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
“Congress members, we asked for this hearing so we can develop a record of this moment in history. I applaud the formation of the dashboard. We wanted you to begin the investigation as the actions are continuing to happen,” said Bass in her remarks at the hearing.
“What usually happens is, years later, an investigation begins to document, but we wanted to document this assault in our democracy right now. So in the future, those can be held accountable for actions that are essentially weakening our stability and weakening our democracy.
“This hearing creates a record of the unlawful abuses that Angelenos, including U.S. citizens, have faced. The first-hand accounts of Angelenos who were forcibly held, physically attacked, and deprived of their freedom without cause are not only outrageous—they are intolerable. This is more than an affront to Los Angeles as we’ve unfortunately seen these attacks spread to cities across the county. I am grateful for Congressman Garcia’s support, and I remain steadfast and fearless in protecting our residents and upholding justice.”
Garcia said every person in the country has a right to due process, regardless of immigration status.
“It’s critical that the Oversight Committee document and hold accountable those that are defying the constitution, violating civil rights, and terrorizing families and communities,” said Garcia.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn testified that ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] has terrorized the communities she represents since June.
“They hit Long Beach hard this past week – chasing down and tackling a gardener working at Polly’s Pies – a Long Beach institution. They raided a church. They questioned terrified parents waiting for their children outside an elementary school.
“They are not communicating with local law enforcement, and we know they are not targeting violent criminals. They are targeting people based on the color of their skin, or their accent, or the place that they work – and they are violating our residents’ rights every day they are on our streets.
“They raided a Swap Meet in Santa Fe Springs and multiple witnesses said, “if you looked Hispanic in any way, they just took you.”
“In Whittier, ICE arrested a man walking on the sidewalk – only to be forced to release him hours later, because even though he was a Mexican national, he was here completely legally on a tourist visa.
“In October, they grabbed three men just out for a walk in LA County’s Friendship Park in my neighborhood in San Pedro. When our LA County Parks and Recreation employees asked for identification—the ICE agents threatened to arrest them.
“They cover their faces and refuse to wear badges or identify themselves. They pull people into unmarked vans at gunpoint and wonder why people resist arrest. This is how an authoritarian’s secret police operate – not legitimate law enforcement in a democracy,” testified Hahn.
The LA Times reported that Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin accused Garcia and Bass in a statement of “peddling more lies about DHS law enforcement officers.”
“I’m calling on Democrats, like Rep. Garcia and Mayor Bass, to stop spreading this garbage,” McLaughlin said. “Instead of smearing our law enforcement, they should be thanking them this Thanksgiving for removing murderers, pedophiles, rapists, gang members, and terrorists from Los Angeles.”
As part of the field hearing, Garcia announced the launch of the Oversight Immigration Enforcement Dashboard to compile a verified public record of possible misconduct incidents after they occur.
Angelenos can learn more about the dashboard or submit their own reports at oversightdemocrats.house.gov/immigration-dashboard.
