Asian Americans express solidarity with Latinos amid ICE raids in Los Angeles

Asian American and Pacific Islander leaders are organizing their communities to support Latinos as federal immigration enforcement expands across Los Angeles, warning that Asian immigrant areas may face increased scrutiny.

Government data shows 722 arrests in the Los Angeles area from June 1-10, including 69% with no criminal history. Mexicans accounted for the highest number of detentions with 345 people, while 47 from Asian countries were arrested during the same period. Notable incidents include 36 Chinese and Taiwanese immigrants arrested from a Los Angeles nightclub and 16 individuals taken outside a Little Bangladesh grocery store.

Meanwhile, Southeast Asian refugees — including Cambodians, Laotians and Vietnamese — with long-suspended deportation orders are being detained during required ICE appointments. Business owners in Artesia’s Little India area report major drops in foot traffic, with one describing conditions as “worse” than the COVID-19 pandemic.

Manjusha Kulkarni, who leads the AAPI Equity Alliance, characterized the enforcement approach at a press event in Little Tokyo on Thursday. “The images have been bone-chilling. Men in masks, refusing to identify themselves, snatching up street vendors, gardeners, chasing down innocent, hard working people,” Kulkarni said. Thai Community Development Center Executive Director Chancee Martorell called for an end to the “reign of terror” in their communities.

Meanwhile, Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California CEO Connie Chung Joe described her community’s reaction. “Our community is much more silent, but we are being detained in really high numbers,” she said. “There’s such a stigma and fear that, unlike the Latinx community that wants to fight and speak out about the injustices, our community’s first reaction is to go down and get more and more hidden.” Indian American Councilmember Nithya Raman emphasized collective vulnerability, saying, “I also want to make it clear to every single person who is Asian American, these aren’t just raids on others. They’re raids on us.”

The collaboration between communities stems from shared vulnerabilities and principles of mutual aid. John Kim, president and CEO of Catalyst California, linked current circumstances to past experiences in his call for action. “When Asian communities have, in the past, been under attack, we often ask ourselves, ‘Why aren’t other communities standing beside us?’ In this moment, our Latino families are asking themselves that question, and we, as Asian Americans, who know the fear and pain they are suffering, need to answer that call,” he said.

For Asian Americans, communication barriers pose significant challenges amid the heightened enforcement. “I can guarantee you, those federal enforcement agents do not speak our languages,” Chung Joe noted. “That means people who have political asylum needs, and need to be going in front of court.” Schools have also become areas of concern, with Assemblymember Mike Fong saying federal agents tried to enter a daycare in his district while parents report being “scared to send their kids to school.”

Multiple AAPI organizations will join “Reclaim Our Streets” demonstrations scheduled for July 1 throughout Los Angeles.