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Proposed Home Depot location faces pushback
A proposed new Eagle Rock Home Depot location is facing pushback in the wake of recent ICE raids happening at other Los Angeles locations.
LOS ANGELES - The Home Depot recently filed an application with the city's planning department to demolish the former Macy's building at the Eagle Rock Plaza to build a new location.
This summer, there have been several Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids at Home Depot locations across Los Angeles. Just last week, an ICE operation led to eight arrests at the Home Depot in the Westlake area, a location that has been hit several times.
"We believe Home Depot is completely complicit with these raids happening all throughout the LA area so we believe the Home Depot poses a health risk to our community," Ron Gochez of Union del Barrio said.
Gochez said Home Depot’s lack of response to the ongoing raids makes it complicit through silence. He opposes the proposed Eagle Rock location — and any expansions by the company in LA.
"We're calling on all Home Depots, if they're not going to be able to protect the people, the customers and the workers there, then they shouldn't even be open anywhere in Los Angeles," Gochez said.
LA City Councilmember Ysabel Jurado posted this on Instagram, saying in part: "Home Depot has chosen power and profit over the working people who sustain it. This is why I unequivocally oppose Home Depot coming to Eagle Rock Plaza."
The Home Depot sent FOX 11 a statement, saying, "We aren’t notified that ICE activities are going to happen, and we’re not requesting them. In many cases, we don't know that arrests have taken place until after they're over."
Those who oppose the ICE raids say that's not good enough.