Watch: Illegal Aliens Attempt to Flee When Penske Truck Door Flies Open Outside LA Home Depot
Agents from teh U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) conducted an early morning immigration enforcement raid near a Home Depot in the MacArthur Park area of Los Angeles. The operation targeted a zone reportedly controlled by the hazardous MS-13 gang,causing multiple suspects and migrants to flee. Sixteen individuals were taken into custody during the raid.
The raid comes amid heightened tensions over immigration enforcement in Los Angeles, where Mayor Karen Bass has issued directives aimed at protecting undocumented immigrants from federal authorities, emphasizing the importance of preserving thier rights and dignity. Despite local resistance and the city’s sanctuary policies, federal officials, including Acting U.S.Attorney Bill Essayli, have emphasized that immigration enforcement continues and that there are no safe havens from federal law.
This enforcement action follows a recent decision by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals denying an emergency stay that would restrict ICE and DHS operations in Southern California based on language or ethnicity. The federal government appears to be sending a clear message that illegal entry into the U.S. will be met with apprehension and potential deportation,regardless of individual circumstances. Former Acting DHS head Chad Wolf commented that leniency in past years has encouraged more illegal immigration.
The DHS efforts aim to deter illegal immigration and address areas dominated by criminal gangs,amidst concerns that sanctuary city policies have contributed to increased crime and other social challenges. Such raids are expected to continue, potentially prompting some undocumented immigrants to self-deport.
Agents from the Department of Homeland Security carried out a raid near a Los Angeles Home Depot Wednesday, causing multiple suspects to flee, after the area was reportedly deemed to be controlled by the dangerous MS-13 gang.
Matt Finn of Fox News posted a video on the social media site X, showing agents jumping out of a truck in full force.
“Breaking: DHS arrives in Penske trucks at a Home Depot in [MacArthur] Park area of LA for early morning immigration enforcement,” the post read.
Finn added, “The area was filled with migrants who scattered. DHS says MS-13 has a chokehold on this area, which is one reason they’re carrying out the highly optic immigration raids. 16 taken into custody.”
Breaking: DHS arrives in Penske trucks at a Home Depot in McArthur Park area of LA for early morning immigration enforcement. The area was filled with migrants who scattered. DHS says MS 13 has a chokehold on this area, which is one reason they’re carrying out the highly… pic.twitter.com/hTskuM9Q4l
— Matt Finn (@MattFinnFNC) August 6, 2025
He also pointed out in a separate post that LA’s far-left Democratic Mayor Karen Bass had previously visited a site near the raid to highlight President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.
“BREAKING: federal immigration operation underway right now … near site where Karen Bass showed up last month during immigration enforcement,” Finn wrote.
BREAKING: federal immigration operation underway right now at Home
Depot near McArthur Park in LA, near site where Karen Bass showed up last month during immigration enforcement. pic.twitter.com/UUkJeIAKe9— Matt Finn (@MattFinnFNC) August 6, 2025
Back in July, Bass issued an executive directive to city departments demanding they come up with a plan to shield illegal aliens and find ways to push back against federal authorities.
Executive Directive No. 12 was geared toward preserving the “dignity, safety, and constitutional rights of all City of Los Angeles residents, regardless of their immigration status.”
She cited a 1979 edict from the Los Angeles Police Department that prohibited officers from taking legal action based on someone’s potential immigration status.
“These operations have heightened fears, torn apart families, disrupted the immigrant community, and interfered with businesses and day-to-day life across the city,” the order read. “These enforcement actions have deterred City residents from attending school and church, seeking city services, accessing healthcare, and going to work.”
Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli also commented on the Home Depot raid with a social media post that read, “For those who thought immigration enforcement had stopped in Southern California, think again. The enforcement of federal law is not negotiable, and there are no sanctuaries from the reach of the federal government.”
For those who thought immigration enforcement had stopped in Southern California, think again. The enforcement of federal law is not negotiable, and there are no sanctuaries from the reach of the federal government. 🇺🇸 https://t.co/jkZgG1WOdt
— Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli (@USAttyEssayli) August 6, 2025
This news comes after the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected a Trump administration request for an emergency stay on a federal injunction that restricted ICE and DHS agents from carrying out operations in Southern California, solely based on spoken language or ethnic background.
It seems the Trump administration is sending a message. Deterrence must play a part in immigration enforcement. This means that if you illegally entered the U.S., it doesn’t matter who you are. You’re still open to apprehension and deportation.
This sentiment was echoed by former Acting DHS head Chad Wolf on CNN Tuesday, when he said, “We saw that during four years of the Biden administration, where they said, ‘We’re not going to deport. We’re not going to arrest and therefore deport certain classes of illegal aliens here in the United States.’”
Wolf added, “Unfortunately, what that does is, it just encourages more and more of those types of individuals to come to the country, knowing that they’ll never be deported.”
It’s good to see the DHS being persistent, especially if they think the area is dominated by a dangerous gang element.
Sanctuary cities have harbored dangerous criminals for political gain. This has led to increased crime, a strain on public and private resources, and classroom sizes growing beyond capacity, while millions of people avoid paying taxes.
These immigration operations will act as a deterrent and show that the U.S. government will no longer sit idly by while our laws are mocked.
Some people have already opted to self-deport back to their country of origin. And if operations like this continue, we’re likely to see an even bigger decrease in the number of illegals living in the country.
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