A community group in Los Angeles is looking for volunteers to help keep watch on locations across the L.A., Orange County, and the Inland Empire, where immigration agents are expected to carry out raids.
The group gathered on Thursday at La Cienega and Sawyer Street, where an ICE raid took so many workers in August that the business had to shut down, KNX News’ Craig Fiegener reported.
“What we do is we do train them on how to document it, how to be there for the workers through that situation, and many times, you know,” Flor Melendrez, executive director of Clean Carwash Worker Center, said. “We know that when ICE agents show up we know that if they see a lot of community involvement and when they see that people are documented they're less likely to commit something that they shouldn't.”
She said over 82 car washes have been raided, and over 250 workers from those car washes have been taken by federal agents.
“We want to make sure that agents know that they're being watched and that they should be following their protocols, which they haven't been doing, and many workers have been injured because of that,” Melendrez explained.
“None of them white, and even some of the customers, even some of the owners, were taken basically because of the color of their skin,” she noted.
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The group needs thousands of volunteers to watch and warn of potential ICE raids and to document the raids.
People can learn more about the group and sign up to volunteer at cleancarwash.org.
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