ICE raids stir fear in Artesia’s Little India and Asian communities across LA

California ICE raids cause fear in AAPI community

ICE raids across Southern California are not only causing concern among Latinos, but AAPI communities are also worried.

LOS ANGELES - While recent videos of ICE raids seem to focus on the Latino population, there is concern among the Asian American Pacific Islander community.

Activists at the South Asian Network's Artesia and Los Angeles offices are fielding calls from Asian American Pacific Islander community members, worried about Immigration authorities targeting them.

What they're saying:

Business owners in Artesia's Little India neighborhood say foot traffic has gone down significantly, especially since a raid occurred at a local car wash last month. 

One grocery store owner told FOX 11 that men identifying themselves as immigration agents showed up at his market last week, asking about the legality of his employees. 

"We are a family business." Sridher Aiyer says he told them, explaining he has been here, legally, for more than 20 years.

Community organizer Tonya Shomesh points to the empty streets and stores off PIoneer Blvd., a hub for businesses with signs in Korean, Nepalese, Filipino, and Mandarin, dotted within the many Indian establishments and Mexican taco stops. 

"We made it through COVID," said the owner of Decor Boutique, "but this is worse. Nobody is coming, everybody is afraid." Rizloana Khan explains that after the COVID-19 pandemic, people wanting to celebrate and just get out, packed their Indian clothing store, but now "they are afraid to be questioned, even if they are here legally!".

Images of Chinese immigrants detained by ICE at an underground club last month also added to the fear, especially among international students who've been calling the South Asian Network's offices. 

The Southern California offices of Asian Americans Advancing Justice say as much as 15% of the Asian population in the state is undocumented. The South Asian Network has offices near Artesia, but also Los Angeles. You can reach them at southasiannetwork.org.