More Than 550 Mexican Nationals Detained in Southern California Immigration Raids, Consulate Says

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

Carlos González Gutiérrez, Mexico’s consul general in Los Angeles, told a public hearing the true number could be higher, as consular officials can only access certain detention center records if they have the detainee’s name or if the person self-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 noted that in many cases, Mexican nationals are deported or face deportation before they can obtain legal counsel.

According to The Latinus, nearly 60% of the confirmed 550 were arrested while at work:

73 in construction
67 at car washes
51 in landscaping
49 in agriculture
47 in light manufacturing
38 as day laborers

One recent operation occurred Aug. 6 outside a Home Depot in Westlake, about 37 miles west of Los Angeles. Immigration agents reportedly jumped from a Penske rental truck and arrested 16 day laborers from Guatemala, Mexico, Honduras, and Nicaragua. The undercover action was called “Trojan Horse.”

The raid came shortly 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 only one detainee from the Westlake operation was Mexican.

Construction workers who often gather at Home Depot locations say they remain vigilant 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 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 providing detained nationals with medical care, food, and legal assistance.