Reports this week that federal agents detaining commuters sitting at Pasadena bus stops this week are sitting at Pasadena bus stops raise concerns about immigration officials targeting public transport (an important aspect of urban life) in their efforts to deport Southern California.
As thousands of Angelenos are Latinos and rely on the city’s vast network of buses and trains to live their daily lives, the incident in Pasadena has brought a new level of fear and uncertainty to public transport riders.
On June 6, when immigration agents launched a campaign to spot and capture undocumented immigrants in Los Angeles, some residents began going underground and left their jobs, schools, churches and other public places for fear of an attack.
Now, when many people try to resume their daily lives, buses and trains have become another place of fear. Metro officials say bus and rail rides have fallen by 10% to 15% since immigration enforcement activities began.
“The way the ice is doing these sweeps is scary,” Los Angeles County superintendent Janice Hahn said in a statement Wednesday. “This is not right. The fear they are spreading is causing deep harm in our community.”
The man is on a Metro 70 bus as he enters downtown on Thursday, heading from Boyle Heights.
The most visible example occurred early Wednesday, during weeks of rumours swirling online about the presence of immigration officers along bus stops and railway lines.
After a brief conversation, you can see the policeman handcuffed in the video. Authorities said a total of six Pasadena residents were detained.
About a block from the elementary school, the Route 662 bus stop is located near several Latinx companies in the area of the city known for its Mexican restaurants. Workers in the area frequently get coffee and breakfast at doughnut shops before heading to work. The incident was witnessed and videotaped by several people in the area.
Another video of the incident showed a bent witness (who belongs to a federal agent) in the back of an unmarked vehicle trying to take a photo of the license plate. The footage shows the masked man leaving the driver’s side and rushing towards the back of the vehicle, pointing his gun at an eyewitness who quickly retreated onto the sidewalk.
“Leave our town!” cried out at the masked man. When other witnesses answered the phone and began to approach the vehicle, the driver activates the car’s lights and sirens to speed up.
The early morning sweep was just one of several immigration officials made in Pasadena on Wednesday, but the arrest and viral video sparked voice criticism.
A man passes a downtown bus stop on Thursday.
Downtown Metro 70 Bus City Hall.
“This is lawless,” state Sen. Sasha Renée Pérez (D-Alhambra) said of the X’s video statement raid. “This is completely inappropriate, this is a very dangerous method.
Rep. Judy Chew (D Monterry Park) calls the situation “outrageous” with Pasadena in the district.
“These attacks in my district are absolutely sleazy. They are covered and armed like militias. They are terrorizing their families and destroying the safety of our community. This is not law enforcement, it is a serious abuse of power, and I do not support it.
Pasadena public intelligence officer Lisa Delderian said city officials were trying to determine who came out of the vehicle that was not yet marked, saying they pointed the gun as the search for the city’s license plate was empty and footage could not show identification.
The situation has led the city to increase the presence of law enforcement outside schools and around bus stops, she said.
“We have an obligation to protect our communities. Clearly, we are beginning to appear too coordinate or interfere with federal enforcement, and we don’t want to be too heavy, but again, we have an obligation to protect them,” says Derderian.
Many railway and bus riders inevitably use public transport and may not be able to access alternative transport, said Michael Schneider of the streets of all advocacy groups.
A 2023 Metro survey showed that over 60% of bus riders and about 50% of railway riders are Latinx/Hispanic. Also, nearly 90% of bus riders and more than 70% of annual household income for railway riders are under $50,000.
“For most people on the metro… household income is very low,” Schneider said. “They’re on the bus, because that’s the way they come and go to work, and that’s the way they walk. They don’t have a car at home, they don’t have another option.”
Metro has been trying to build public trust and nurture ridership following the violence of buses and trains in recent years.
Union Station employees and regulars said Thursday that they noticed a slight slump in pedestrians in recent weeks.
“There are fewer passengers than usual,” said Jonathan Allos, a security guard at the station. “I’m not saying that it’s important, but that’s not true.”
The stairs at the bottom of the Civic Centre Metro station are empty downtown.
The lonely rider leaves the Red Line at Union Station.
Hahn, who also chairs the Metro Commission, asked Metro staff on Wednesday to report to the board of directors about agency protocols whether immigrants will take buses or trains.
Earlier this year, as immigration enforcement grew across the country, Hearn directed Metro staff to partner with the LA County Immigration Affairs Department to amplify the ongoing “know Your Rights” campaign to help immigrant riders and inform them of protections they may be in dealing with law enforcement.
“More than ever, it is essential that our public transport system serves as a safe and inclusive space for everyone,” Hahn wrote in a letter to Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins. “Sharing important information and campaigns that educate riders about our rights, particularly in relation to ice and law enforcement interactions, is a powerful tool that will help alleviate the anxiety that many in the immigrant community experience.”
As the Metrobus cruised across the LA River towards Downtown on Thursday morning, widespread protests and immigrant raids broke out earlier this month, but riders wearing various retail and foodservice uniforms stared straight at them. The quiet tension of the almost complete bus was obvious.
A Boyle Heights woman on the bus said she’s been tired of public transport since the attack began, but like many others, she had little option to go to work.
“Some people are scared, but they have to work,” the woman said. He asked her not to be identified as she was worried that she would become a target for immigration staff. “No matter what, there’s work.”
Yomara Oxlha, who works at a Boyle Heights general store across from the bus stop, said a quiet distrust of public services has spread across the community.
Those with backpacks and roller bags walk through Union Station.
“I saw a video of a bus driver saying there was ice inside [buses]Oxhra said. “If I were an immigrant, [ICE] Go inside the supermarket, they go inside the bus, train, they go inside the store… I’m not at all comfortable going out at all. ”
Oxlha said Boyle Heights has been quiet since the attack began on June 6th.
Boyle’s tall resident Sofia was patiently waiting at the bus stop on Thursday. A woman who refused to provide her last name because of fear that she could be targeted by immigration officials told the Times in Spanish that she would become more keenly aware of her surroundings.
For nearly a week, Sofia hesitates to leave her home, and her family lives in a state of constant uncertainty. But now, she said, she finally has to go back to her normal schedule.
“The fear of going out to find a dream is now a nightmare,” Sofia said in Spanish. “It’s so sad that this is all going on.”
Staff writer Longong LIN II contributed to this report.
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