Federal agents congregated in Hollywood Sunday in what appears to be another immigration enforcement operation targeting a Home Depot store.
The operation was carried out Sunday afternoon at the home improvement store on Sunset Boulevard near the 101 Freeway, according to a witness.
Video shared with NBCLA shows masked Border Patrol agents detaining at least two people who are thrown inside an unmarked vehicle.
Bystanders are seen swarming the unmarked vehicles as the federal agents attempt to make an exit from the store’s parking lot. Video shows what appears to be at least one bystander getting pepper-sprayed by a Border Patrol officer.
It’s unclear why the operation was executed at the Home Depot location.
NBCLA has reached out to DHS and Border Patrol for details on the operation, but has not received a response.
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a ruling in August to maintain the temporary restraining order, granted by a federal judge, over how the federal government conducts immigration enforcement operations in Southern California.
The restraining order bars the detention of people unless the officer or agent “has reasonable suspicion that the person to be stopped is within the United States in violation of U.S. immigration law.” Officers or agents may not base that suspicion solely on a person’s apparent race or ethnicity; the fact that they’re speaking Spanish or English with an accent, or their presence at a particular location like a bus stop or a day laborer pickup site.
Several Home Depot stores in LA County have been subject to immigration enforcement raids since June. The Hollywood location along Sunset Boulevard was targeted on June 19, which ended with several people being detained, including a U.S. citizen.
The recent immigration enforcement operations in Los Angeles and other parts of Southern California are part of President Trump’s campaign promise to carry out a mass deportation plan.
Through Sept. 7, nearly 61,000 migrants had been taken into ICE detention since the start of President Trump’s second term, according to NBC News, which used ICE data both public and internal as well as data from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency. About 29.9% of those in detention had criminal convictions; 25.6% had pending criminal charges; 45% were listed as “other immigration violator;” and 11.6% were fast-tracked for deportation.