An unusual but deeply symbolic protest drew attention this weekend in Monrovia, California, where a group of pro-immigrant activists held what they called an “ice scraper protest” inside a Home Depot store.
The action sought to denounce the recent federal operations in several areas of Los Angeles County and to pressure the retail chain to publicly reject the presence of ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) agents in its parking lots.
Activists use “ice scrapers” to protest against ICE
The protest, organized by members of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON), used an object that cost as little as 17 cents: an ice scraper.
Each participant purchased one of these items and immediately went back to line up to return it.
The goal was clear: to overwhelm customer service lines and create a temporary disruption in store operations as a form of nonviolent civil resistance.
“We want to ‘scrape’ ICE from our communities,” explained Palmira Figueroa, NDLON’s communications director.
“The scraper is symbolic, but the action shows that when we are united we can stop a system, even if only for a moment, to make visible the abuse faced by day laborers and immigrant workers.”
Protest forces Home Depot to close temporarily
For almost an hour, the so-called “buy and return operation” halted the normal flow of customers.
The group then marched through the corridors of the facility with banners and slogans.
The situation eventually led Home Depot staff to decide to temporarily close the store.
According to the activists, this contrasts with the company’s reaction when immigration operations have been carried out in its parking lots.
“Ah, so they can close the store whenever they want. They closed it because of our protest, but they have never done that when ICE comes to intimidate and detain people on their property,” Figueroa said.
Home Depot faces criticism
The criticism points out that, although Home Depot has repeatedly said it does not collaborate with ICE, it has not publicly condemned the operations that take place on its premises.
In recent weeks, immigrant communities in California and other states have reported that immigration agents are stationed in parking lots of large chains – including supermarkets and home improvement stores – to observe, detain or question day laborers who often gather there to seek employment.
These practices have generated concern among civil rights organizations.
Especially in 2024 and 2025, years in which operations have been intensified in areas with high Latino populations.
In response to previous requests from local media, including CBS Los Angeles, Home Depot has maintained that it does not receive notifications from ICE prior to raids and that it does not cooperate directly with federal agents.
However, the company has not issued a public condemnation when such actions occur in its parking lots, something that activists consider critical.
“We want Home Depot to reject these operations. We know they can do it,” Figueroa insisted.
Activists call for a halt to ICE operations in stores
For many immigrant families in the U.S., especially in California, the presence of ICE in these spaces represents a real risk:
Loss of employment, sudden arrests, family separation and constant fear of carrying out daily activities, such as buying work materials or waiting for a contract as an independent day laborer.
NDLON said they are already considering further protests at other stores in Southern California.
Their goal is to increase public pressure on major corporations to take a stronger stance against immigration crackdowns that disproportionately affect Hispanic workers.
For the Latino community, this type of action seeks not only to denounce abuses, but also to open a broader debate:
What social responsibility should be assumed by companies whose parking lots have become frequent points of migratory operations?
For more information, visit QuéOnnda.com.
