Amid devastating mass raids conducted by ICE and widespread fear within immigrant communities, local officials have announced a wave of July 4th event cancellations.
In addition to several upcoming summer events, Independence Day celebrations have been postponed or cancelled in Downtown Los Angeles, Boyle Heights, El Sereno, Lincoln Heights, Cudahy, Bell Gardens, and Huntington Park.
However, one notable local event is throwing a July 4th party—not in spite of the ICE raids but because of them.
On Friday, Harbor Area Peace Patrols will host a People’s Party to “celebrate the 4th of July by reclaiming Terminal Island”, a significant historical site for Japanese Americans.
According to photos and videos obtained by L.A. TACO from local community groups, ICE have been using the Port of Los Angeles as a staging ground for its raids since at least June 24th. A couple weeks ago, the volunteer group Nikkei Progressives became aware of ICE’s presence on Terminal Island after being alerted by San Pedro residents.