This story was updated at 1:40 p.m. on December 3 to include a statement from The U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
At around 10 a.m. this past Tuesday morning, U.S. Border Patrol agents raided a Home Depot on Slauson Avenue in Huntington Park.
One man, who was being chased by federal immigration agents, ran into the street and was hit by a vehicle, according to an eyewitness. The man was hospitalized, received medical attention, and was later released.
At least one other person was detained by agents during the raid. An additional man named Ernesto was reported missing, but responders have since confirmed his whereabouts and safety.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department told L.A. TACO that they received a call at 10:11 a.m on Tuesday, and arrived on scene by 10:15 a.m. The struck man was immediately taken to the hospital.
In a statement to L.A. TACO, the City of Huntington Park said they were aware of the incident, and confirmed that a man was struck by a civilian vehicle during the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity.
“The Huntington Park Police Department is actively investigating the circumstances surrounding the pedestrian-vehicle collision,” said Sergio Infanzon, director of communications and community relations for the City of Huntington Park. “While the investigation remains ongoing, preliminary reports indicate that the individual was transported to a local hospital for medical treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.”
Sam, a community responder who acts as the food program director for Comida Para Todos and Siempre Unidos L.A., was at the scene on Tuesday morning to drop off bread donations for a group of assembled daylaborers. She began to blow her whistle when she saw two men approach the area and raise their masks, and simultaneously witnessed a Ford F-150 truck drive into the store’s lumber area.
“At that very moment is when they got off and they [federal immigration agents] started chasing a lot of the workers,” said Sam. “The man did get chased into the middle of the street.”
Sam told L.A. TACO that the Huntington Park Police Department assessed the man and told the federal immigration agents to wait because he needed medical attention.
“If it wasn't for the police officer, luckily, the man wouldn't have gotten medical attention. And [the agents] were trying to pick him up and take him, even though he had gotten hit by a car,” Sam said.
After receiving medical attention and being released from the hospital, the man is currently not being held in federal immigration custody, according to a community patroller in direct contact with his family.
L.A. TACO reached out to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol for comment regarding the raid, and we were referred to the Department of Homeland Security for comment.
Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin writes:
“On December 2, Border Patrol conducted an immigration enforcement operation in Huntington Park and arrested Jorge Rivera-Gonzalez, an illegal alien from Mexico who violated the immigration laws of our country. “During the operation, agents tried to speak with a pedestrian who tried to flee by running into incoming traffic and was hit by a vehicle. Agents called 911 and shielded the pedestrian until EMS promptly arrived to care for the individual and take them to the hospital.”
Meanwhile, the Mayor of Huntington Park has harsh words for what happened.
“I denounce the Trump Domestic Terrorism Campaign that continues to target law-abiding residents in Huntington Park and across the nation,” said Huntington Park mayor Arturo Flores. “I have faith that those who choose to violate human rights and constitutional rights will be held accountable for their crimes. Not to mince words . . . FUCK TRUMP and FUCK ICE.”
The “local Home Depot watch,” composed of folks who are local to the area, are there everyday to observe activity that could be related to federal immigration activity, according to a member who goes by Roz. She tells L.A. TACO that federal immigration agents have been scouting the Home Depot for the past several months.
A man who works in the area of the Home Depot says that he has seen this store location be raided several times since June. Every time a raid occurs, his business sales plummet. They are barely making it, with total sales as low as $40 some days.
Additional reporting provided by Izzy Ramirez and Memo Torres.
