ICE Planning ‘Enforcement’ Action in Los Angeles

An enforcement action by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents targeting immigrants in the country without legal permission in Los Angeles is in the planning stages and is slated to take place before the end of February, according to a published report.

It is not known what actions if any any are planned for Pasadena.

ICE agents would concentrate on immigrants who have pending orders of removal, the Los Angeles Times reported Friday, citing an internal document.

A former federal law enforcement official, who said they had been informed about the recent preparations but spoke on the condition of anonymity fearing retaliation, told the Times FBI agents were being ordered to participate in pending ICE “raids” in Los Angeles.

The Times reported  ICE’s Enforcement Removal Operations in Los Angeles has posted regularly on the social network X recently about people it has arrested, including a Mexican national convicted of lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14, another wanted for murder in Mexico, a woman convicted of driving under the influence and an alleged Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang member.

A number of federal agencies have participated in immigration activities this month.

FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller declined to comment on any upcoming large-scale operation, but said the agency has been assisting in immigration operations since the end of January.

“We’re primarily a supportive role for these operations,” she said.

Other federal agencies have been assisting ICE since last month, including the Drug Enforcement Agency and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Last month, the DEA’s Los Angeles office posted on X that it had participated in an operation tied to immigration enforcement last month.

“When asked to support immigration enforcement actions, we will review the capabilities and shift resources as necessary to provide support,” Matthew Allen, who leads the agency’s Los Angeles office, said in a statement.

The Trump administration has pledged to aggressively pursue undocumented immigrants since taking office on Jan. 20. According to NBC News, federal agents have arrested more than 8,000 immigrants since Inauguration Day.