More Than 550 Mexicans Detained in Southern California Immigration Raids, Consulate Claims

The Mexican consulate has confirmed that more than 550 people detained in recent weeks in Southern California are nationals.

Carlos González Gutiérrez, Mexico’s consul general in Los Angeles, said in a public hearing that the actual number may be even higher, as consular officials can only access information in some detention centers if they have the detainee’s name or if the individual identifies as Mexican.

“We can call out to Mexicans at the top of our lungs,” González said. “It’s likely there are Mexicans we haven’t been able to identify.”

He also noted that in many cases involving Mexican nationals, individuals have already been deported or face deportation before they can access legal counsel.

As reported by Latinus, nearly 60 percent of the 550 confirmed Mexican nationals were arrested while at work. Among them, 73 worked in construction, 67 at a car wash, 51 in landscaping, 49 in agriculture, 47 in light manufacturing, and 38 as day laborers.

One of the most recent immigration operations took place last week outside a Home Depot in Westlake, about 37 miles west of Los Angeles.

On Aug. 6, several immigration agents jumped out of a Penske rental truck and arrested 16 day laborers from Guatemala, Mexico, Honduras and Nicaragua. The undercover operation was reportedly dubbed “Trojan Horse.”

The raid came just days after a federal appeals court upheld a temporary restraining order blocking indiscriminate immigration stops and arrests in seven Southern California counties, including Los Angeles.

González confirmed that only one of the individuals detained in the Westlake operation was a Mexican national.

Construction workers who frequently gather outside Home Depot stores in the region told Latinus they remain on high alert for vehicles with tinted windows or trucks like the one used in the Aug. 6 raid.

“They’re going to come back, but this time I don’t know how they’ll show up,” said a worker originally from El Salvador. “Maybe in small cars with white plates. Maybe in ambulances or yellow school buses. Maybe they’re already inside Home Depot. Maybe they’ll come dressed as civilians.”

González said the Mexican consulate in Los Angeles will continue to provide support to nationals detained during immigration operations, including medical care, food and legal assistance.

“We’ll keep working every day to protect your rights,” he said. “We are here to serve.”