Los Angeles, CA — A federal immigration raid outside a Home Depot store in Los Angeles has drawn widespread outrage after agents arrested a U.S. citizen and then drove off in his car with his 1-year-old daughter still inside, according to family members and immigrant advocates.
Video of the incident shows the man restrained and escorted away as two masked agents wearing helmets and bulletproof vests entered his vehicle and drove off — while the child remained strapped in her car seat in the back.
Bystanders can be heard shouting, “There’s a baby in the back!” as the agents left the parking lot.
Advocacy Groups Condemn the Incident
The video, captured by a member of the Los Angeles Rapid Response Network, was shared with immigrant rights organizations on Wednesday. The footage quickly sparked criticism of the agents’ actions, which advocates called reckless and traumatizing for the child.
“It was a dangerous act to have armed men get in a car with that child and remove her from the situation,” said Lindsay Toczylowski, co-founder of the Immigrant Defenders Law Center.
According to The Associated Press, Toczylowski confirmed that the child was later picked up by relatives from federal offices in Los Angeles.
“They should have followed protocols that had the best interest of that child in mind,” she said.
Federal Response and Justification
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said the man — who is a U.S. citizen born in California — allegedly got out of his vehicle wielding a hammer and throwing rocks at Border Patrol agents during the operation. He was arrested for investigation of assault, and agents reportedly found a stolen pistol from New York in his car.
Officials, however, did not explain why agents drove away with the child instead of calling local law enforcement or social services.
“Five immigrants were arrested during the operation on suspicion of immigration violations,” the DHS spokesperson said.
Expert Analysis: Split Opinions
Ed Obayashi, a California special prosecutor and expert on police practices, said local officers in similar cases — such as DUI arrests — usually avoid driving a suspect’s car with a child inside.
“Normally, officers call a tow company and transport the child in a patrol car to the station,” he said.
However, Obayashi added that federal raids differ from routine arrests.
“With onlookers filming and the scene escalating, I think they were just trying to get the vehicle and the kid out of there and to safety,” he explained.
Family’s Reaction
The man’s mother, Maria, said she received a call from an unknown number on Tuesday instructing her to pick up her granddaughter at U.S. Border Patrol offices in Los Angeles.
“It’s something very frightening,” Maria said in Spanish. “You don’t know who those people are.”
She told reporters that her son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter are all U.S. citizens. Her son works in the restaurant industry and, as of Wednesday, his whereabouts remained unclear.
Maria said the child is physically fine but keeps asking for her father.
Growing Questions About ICE Protocol
Immigrant rights groups are calling for an independent investigation into the agents’ actions, arguing that even if the man was detained lawfully, removing a child in this manner violated safety standards and basic decency.
Advocates say the situation highlights the blurred lines between immigration enforcement and citizens’ rights, particularly during raids conducted in public spaces.
What are your thoughts on this alarming incident and how federal agencies should handle children during enforcement operations? Share your views in the comments below.
