Video shows ICE raid at LA Home Depot; 16 arrested

Immigration raid at Home Depot in MacArthur Park

Fox News' Matt Finn reports 16 people were taken into custody.

LOS ANGELES - The Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday carried out an immigration raid dubbed "Operation Trojan Horse" in Los Angeles that resulted in multiple arrests.

What we know:

The operation happened around 7 a.m. in the area surrounding a Home Depot on Wilshire Boulevard near MacArthur Park.

Video shows several agents bursting from the rear of a Penske moving truck, then running toward a group of people near a sidewalk food stand. The crowd scattered when they saw the federal agents. A DHS spokesperson confirmed 16 undocumented migrants from Guatemala, Mexico, Honduras, and Nicaragua were detained.

Penske Truck Rental issued a statement saying the company "strictly prohibits the transportation of people in the cargo area of its vehicles under any circumstances."

"The company was not made aware that its trucks would be used in today's operation and did not authorize this," according to the company. "Penske will reach out to DHS and reinforce its policy to avoid improper use of its vehicles in the future."

What we don't know:

No further details about the 16 detained individuals - other than their home countries - were immediately released.

What they're saying:

DHS officials told FOX News that the notorious MS-13 gang has a "chokehold" on the area, which warranted such enforcement operations.

Wednesday's enforcement operation was the most publicized raid to occur in the area since a federal judge last month issued temporary restraining orders preventing the government from stopping individuals in violation of the Fourth Amendment and requiring the government to provide detained individuals with access to counsel.

The judge said federal agents were conducting "roving" patrols that rounded up people without reasonable suspicion that they were actually in the country illegally, but were detained based on their ethnicity or occupation.

The federal government appealed the ruling, but last week, a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals declined to put a stay on the ruling. The federal government is likely to appeal the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The restraining order, however, did not prevent Wednesday's operation. On X, U.S. Attorney for Los Angeles Bill Essayli acknowledged the operation, writing, "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."

The backstory:

It's the same Home Depot where multiple people were detained by around 100 federal agents on June 6. That operation swept through MacArthur Park and brought Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass to the scene where she asked agents to leave.

"They need to leave, and they need to leave right now. They need to leave because this is unacceptable!" Bass, who has been a vocal opponent of immigration raids in the city, said at the time.

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On that day, raids took place at seven locations in Los Angeles, prompting mass protests later that evening. The Los Angeles Police Department declared unlawful assembly and issued a citywide tactical alert as some protesters became violent and attempted to break into the Royal Federal building in downtown Los Angeles.

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Video from SkyFOX showed dozens of officers in riot gear as they made a skirmish line and tried to move the crowd away from the federal building.

Video from the scene showed protesters clashing with officers as tear gas and pepper spray were used, and trash bins were pushed toward officers. The words "F*** ICE" were spray-painted on concrete walls, barriers, trash bins, and other places.

Video also showed protesters using hammers to break concrete columns. LAPD officials said a small group of people became violent and were throwing large pieces of concrete.