Increasingly aggressive immigration raids carried out by masked federal agents using sometimes unmarked vehicles have created problems for local law enforcement.
Police have little or no insight into where federal enforcement actions are taking place, but often include protests and protests and questions about exactly what happened. In some cases, local police officers are mistaken for federal agents, eroding years of work to trust police in immigrant communities.
At the bell, chaos erupted when a masked man arrived at the car wash and began detaining workers, causing conflicts with residents and immigration rights advocates before rushing to let the curbs and street islands escape.
Last week in Pasadena, a man left an unmarked vehicle at an intersection, unlocked the pistol, returned to the car, and targeted a group of pedestrians before turning on red and blue emergency lights and slowing down. The incident’s video went viral.
The incident resigned as police chief in Pasadena and resigned to figure out whether it was a crime or part of a federal attack.
“There’s no way we can verify,” police chief Jean Harris said.
The department reviewed surveillance footage and other videos, and according to the chief, it saw the male uniform credentials.
“We were able to make the most of our judgment to presume he was an ice agent… we don’t look into it more deeply,” he said.
Last week at Dodger Stadium, immigration agents who went in and out of the car park were staged outside the car park, prompting protests and questions that local officials must deal with.
“They show up without uniforms. They are fully masked. They refuse to give them IDs,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said at a news briefing after the Dodger Stadium incident. “Who are these people? And frankly, the best they have, it looks like they ordered them from Amazon. Are they admirers? Are they vigilantes?
Ed Obayashi, a Northern California representative and a specialist in using the Force, said federal agents enjoy great autonomy and “can hope with official capabilities.”
“If they point a gun or take someone out, the local police cannot intervene and interfere regardless of the situation,” Obayashi said.
He said that although federal agencies have a broad use policy on drawing weapons, the guidelines are not an issue if the overall directive is to take this action.
“If Homeland Security says this is what we want, policy guidelines aren’t important when it comes to guns and power,” he added. “There is little relief for federal law enforcement in Citizen Court compared to local police.”
Federal agents are not subject to the same statues as local police. In other words, the 1983 section allows people to sue certain government agencies and employees for breach of civil rights.
“The U.S. Supreme Court has repeatedly protected federal agents from legal impact,” Obayashi said.
The incidents at Dodger Stadium, Bell and Pasadena unfolded for more than two weeks after masked immigration agents descended on areas where waves of immigration were carried out in primarily Latinx communities. As masked men appear, detaining friends, relatives and neighbors, residents are on the edge, they are part of federal immigration enforcement and refuse to show ID or warrants.
Federal agents will appear outside Gate E at Dodger Stadium on Thursday.
(Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)
The Pasadena incident showed how social media amplifies the incident and highlights the lack of response from local officials.
A video posted to Instagram by Pasadena shows suspected of being a federal agent, leaving Dodge Charger at the intersection and pointing his gun at a member of the public.
In the video, it appears that a person is walking to the back of the Dodge charger and taking a photo of the license plate. That’s when the driver exits the vehicle, pointing the gun at the person behind the vehicle, and pointing it towards the others outside the video frame. The word “police” is a driver’s vest with a badge on the waist. A few seconds later, the man puts his gun away and returns to the car as the bystander yells at him. The man then activates and drives the red and blue lights of the vehicle, which are common to law enforcement.
Citizens shared vehicle license plates on social media, leading to more questions than answers.
According to Pasadena officials, the vehicle’s license plates are “cold plates” or untraceable, and are usually used by law enforcement in secret criminal operations.
“One question is, this is someone pretending to be law enforcement or law enforcement, and there’s no good answer here,” Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo told The Times. “[To] Drawing weapons on law enforcement, heading towards those using iPhones, and pointing to the crowds to it, indicating a lack of training and a lack of sobriety for the use of force. ”
He still hopes that the federal government will acknowledge the incident and provide some clarity. If more immigrant sweeps, Gordo worries that accidental shootings could occur, or that police could get caught in the middle if an unidentified federal agent pulls out a gun in public.
Gorde said the previous administration notified the city of enforcement action to avoid accidental conflicts between law enforcement agencies.
“Our police need to be aware of masked or unmarked law enforcement operations. These businesses put everyone in our neighborhood at risk,” he said.
Harris said if a citizen encounters an issue that makes someone seem to be impersonating law enforcement, he should call 911.
However, local police would not interfere with federal activities, he said.
The man will be arrested after clashing with Border Patrol agents at Bell on Friday.
(Carlin Steel/Los Angeles Times)
“I understand the lingering fears of the community,” Harris said. “I’ll say that [citizens] Understand what’s going on around them to put it off to your feelings. ”
He added that federal immigration efforts in Pasadena have not hindered efforts and response times by local police. There were no arrests, property damage or violence related to protests against the immigrant sweep in Pasadena, officials said.
The lack of clarity for local police, mistaken for federal immigration agents, makes the job even more difficult, as it is a nearly one hour drive inland in Fontana.
The official investigating the recent robbery was mistaken for a federal immigration agent over social media police sergeant Fontana. Nathan Weiske said.
In another example, the undercover investigator faced protesters who thought they were surveillance for a sweeping of immigrants.
“If misrepresentation or misconceptions lead to inappropriate involvement, it is not safe for executives and others involved in active policing,” Fontana Police Chief Michael Dorsey said in a Facebook post.
In parts of Southland, responses to immigrant attacks can be swift and intense.
At Bell, a fatigued masked man detained at least three people in a car wash, causing great protests.
Dozens of people flocked around the area and cried out to agents. They question their identity.
The video shows a man wearing fatigue and balaclava carrying a long weapon, able to fire tear gas and disperse the crowd and leave. The Department of Homeland Security said a Border Patrol vehicle was damaged during the incident.
Huntington Park Mayor Arturo Flores calls the federal government in the region “political theatre.” It aims to be hostile to the Latino population.
Flores is planning to introduce the allegations to the city council, asking local police to identify themselves with federal agents if they are attempting to implement immigration operations within the city.
“What if there’s a bad actor who decides to throw a monotonous olive outfit and lure people out?” Flores told the Times. “I will not ask officers to sabotage federal issues, but we must prepare these agencies to take responsibility for their actions. There is a tragedy waiting for it to happen.”
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