L.A. neighborhoods clear out as ICE raids send people underground

Los Angeles Times ^ | June 15, 2025 3 AM PT | Ruben Vives, James Rainey and Libor Jany

[E. Pluribus Unum]

A week of immigration sweeps across Southern California has left some communities eerily quiet, with some residents saying they are avoiding going out and attending to routine business out of fear of being stopped.

Among the places where residents and merchants say foot traffic is way down include the normally bustling MacArthur Park area, downtown Downey and the Fashion District, which saw a large immigration raid June 6. Some car washes, which were a frequent target of agents last week, have also temporarily closed.

Here is a sampling of how life is changing:

South L.A.

These were the sounds you didn’t hear coming from a school in South Los Angeles on Saturday — children laughing with their friends, parents whooping for their kids’ first guitar solos and teachers burbling about the piano pupil who exceeded all expectations.

The music went silent this Father’s Day weekend at the Young Musicians Foundation.

The venerable school for working-class students canceled its traditional semester-ending concert and celebration because many of its students and parents were afraid that gathering would make them vulnerable to the Trump administration’s immigration raids.

After a week of Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests around Southern California, many parents in the working class neighborhood east of USC pulled their kids from classes last week.

Even more families, including those legally in the U.S., said they wouldn’t attend Saturday’s now-cancelled concert, out of an abundance of caution that they could be sent arrested and have to spend weeks proving their legal status.

“One by one, they were calling this week, saying ‘It breaks our heart, but we are scared to death to come out,’“ said Walter Zooi, executive director of the Young Musicians Foundation. “Folks are being disconnected from their families, from their communities, from these kinds of opportunities, which they love.”

[Theoria]

[arthurus]

A couple of IC marked SUVs were parked at the sheriff’s office here and within 24 hours three houses in my neighborhood were emptied and 16 or 17 cars were gone. The streets were no longer half blocked by all the cars at those houses.

[I want the USA back]

The media is in the business of instilling fear. Even our local rag here has a headline: “Colleges warn international students of fallout from Trump ban.”

[Mi-kha-el]

The dems already are not trying to hide the fact that they need cheap semi-slave illegal labor to wipe their fat liberal asses. They are saying it out loud: who is going to wipe my fat liberal ass if all the illegals leave?

[delchiante]

Yikes and phew at the same time..

Keep that DHS poster number on speed dial:
866-DHS-2-ICE

[CivilWarBrewing]

"Cheap Labor" is a red herring and is NOT the reason for what the BIDEN PUPPET did to the United States the past 4 years.

It's about INCREASING representation in Congress, mostly in BLUE states based on total population of a state which INCLUDES illegal aliens. Permanent LEFTY entrenched majority which will NEVER be overcome.

Also, there's the RACIAL aspect and the "REPLACEMENT THEORY" which is just as damning to our future.

F U TEAM BIDEN and they should ALL BE IN FEDERAL PRISON, or WORSE.

[dennisw]

Looks like “La Migra” is keeping them indoors getting their welfare checks and EBT cards charged up. Watching their 65” 4K TVs while eating tacos, n guzzling grape soda and Modelo.

[technically right]

My heart weeps😂

[Georgia Girl 2]

😭

[Ikeon]

They could be arrested and spend weeks trying to prove their legal status???

Is their green card buried at the bottom of a salt mine in Tunisia?

Give me a break. Take your b.s. over there...further, i can still see you.

.The sad part is the average lefty is too stupid to realize all these arguments are pure made up B.S.

[HartleyMBaldwin]

The media is in the business of instilling fear.

Good. Keep the fear and uncertainty growing. Every illegal alien who decides it's safer to go back home is one fewer in this country.

[j.havenfarm]

You said a mouthful. Yes. The administration can’t say it out loud. It’s important to get the dangerous criminals, but it’s equally important to make the others afraid and boost self-deportation

[Getready]

“normally bustling MacArthur Park Area”....that means street vendors up and down the block...stores with their wares out on the sidewalk, closed graffiti marked shops, homeless on the sidewalks, drug dealing, drugged “residents”, filthy stores..I drive through there every so often ..close to DTLA, where the hipster liberals hide from the poor in their poshed up lofts and up to date eateries...disgusting..
L.A. Times calls it “bustling”... Times is lying straight up, it’s a pit..
The only thing which is positive, is that those who live down there have locked doors, heaters, running water, and indoor plumbing, public schools, mostly free healthcare, police protection, fire protection, but it looks like a hellhole. Even then, it might be better than from where most of them came from....we should get on the case of the governments from whose countries these folks have to leave.

[logi_cal869]

They must be getting msm news.

The news I get here demonstrates that ICE is primarily going after felonious criminals (much to my chagrin).

Otherwise, it suggests that they’re ALL criminals.

Gee... /s

[Gen.Blather]

“Watching their 65” 4K TVs while eating tacos,...”

Okay, not exactly on target but this is one of my hot buttons. I’m a low-end landlord. In every case where I evicted someone, they had a HUGE flat screen TV. Sometimes one in every room. I know from getting the bills after they leave that they had on average about a $300 per month cable bill. But they can’t pay the rent. Generally, they punch holes in the wall on the way out the door.

And they’ve all been on welfare. Generally, they use the benefits to buy meat and sell it at cents on the dollar to fund beer, cigarettes and drugs.

[T.B. Yoits]

From the article headline: L.A. neighborhoods clear out as ICE raids send people underground

Los Angeles hasn't had an underground since the 1980s.

"In 1972, a crack commando unit was sent to prison by a military court for a crime they didn't commit. These men promptly escaped from a maximum security stockade to the Los Angeles underground. Today, still wanted by the government they survive as soldiers of fortune. If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them....maybe you can hire The A-Team."

[A strike]

La Times

[dennisw]

Wow! Thanks for your account dealing with your TV hypnotized renters-—
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
AI
-
65” 4K TV: The Most Popular Size and Resolution in the USA
65-inch 4K TVs are currently the most popular and highest-selling TV size and resolution combination in the United States.

Why 65” 4K TVs Dominate the Market
Flagship Size for Brands: Many top TV brands, including Samsung, LG, TCL, and Hisense, use 65 inches as the flagship size for their best models, especially for 4K resolution displays.

Ideal Balance: The 65-inch size offers a big-screen experience that fits well in most living rooms, making it the “sweet spot” for American households.

Consumer Preference: Experts and reviewers consistently recommend 65-inch TVs as the best size for immersive viewing without overwhelming most spaces. Buyers who opt for smaller sizes often express regret for not choosing a larger screen.

Sales and Market Trends
Best-Selling Size: 65-inch TVs are among the most frequently purchased, with major retailers like Walmart and Best Buy featuring dozens of 65-inch 4K models as “popular picks” and top sellers.

4K Resolution Standard: 4K (Ultra HD) is now the default resolution for most new TVs in this size category, providing sharp, detailed images that take advantage of the larger screen real estate.

Top Brands: Samsung and LG continue to lead the US market in unit sales, with TCL and Hisense also offering highly rated and competitively priced 65-inch 4K TVs.

Retailer and Price Insights
Retail Leaders: Walmart and Best Buy account for the majority of TV sales in the US, with Walmart alone holding over a third of the market share.

Price Range: 65-inch 4K TVs are available across a wide price spectrum, from budget-friendly models around $350 to high-end OLED and QLED options exceeding $1,000.

[Mi-kha-el]

Yes. That too.