An immigration raid that occurred this August 6 in a Home Depot parking lot in Westlake, Los Angeles, has set off alarms among civil rights advocates. Agents from the Department of HomelandSecurity (DHS), allegedly in coordination with ICE and Border Patrol, arrived in a rented moving truck from the Penske company, posing as contractors. Upon exiting the vehicle, they arrested 16 migrant workers awaiting employment.
The operation, referred to internally as “Operation Trojan Horse,” is considered by many to be a premeditated sting that could violate an existing California state court order. The order prohibits stopping people solely on the basis of their appearance, language or presence in public work areas such as parking lots, fairgrounds or recruiting corners.
Organizations condemn tactics
Groups such as CARECEN, the National Day Laborer Network (NDLON), CHIRLA and the ACLU denounced these tactics as a serious precedent.
They described the raid as a direct attack on vulnerable workers.
Martha Arévalo, director of CARECEN, warned that “these disguised operations feed fear and erode trust between the migrant community and any form of authority”.
They also pointed out that such actions not only criminalize poverty, but also promote institutionalized harassment.
La operación se considera por muchos como un engaño premeditado
QuéOnnda.com
Pablo Alvarado, of NDLON, stated that they will seek legal recourse against the agents involved.
As well as against the improper use of commercial vehicles as a covert detention tool.
Penske, whose trademark appeared on the truck that was used, quickly disassociated itself from the operation and said it was not notified by any federal agency about the use of its vehicle.
They indicated that they will review their rental policies in sensitive areas and collaborate with civilian investigations.
Why is the use of Home Depot a concern?
This morning, ICE rolled into a Home Depot parking lot using a moving truck, like a Trojan horse, to snatch Latino workers. Whoever they could find. No idea if they were undocumented or not.
That’s not enforcement. That’s racial profiling, and it violates a standing court order…. pic.twitter.com/ftru6XcDt4
– Christopher Webb (@cwebbonline) August 6, 2025
Buzzy
Home Depot has become a regular spot for Latino day laborers looking for day jobs.
These spaces, although informal, are key for undocumented workers or newcomers who have not yet entered the formal market.
However, as of June 2025, the company is the epicenter of at least three immigration operations in the Los Angeles area, according to reports by NBC and The Guardian.
The community accuses that the chain’s parking lots are being used as “traps” with the help or at least the knowledge of the authorities.
Home Depot has not issued a clear formal position on the matter, which has generated further uncertainty.
Fear, silence and less work
Since the raid, activists report a noticeable drop in the presence of day laborers at Home Depot and other similar locations.
“Many are afraid to leave home. They don’t trust anyone,” explains a volunteer from a community legal network.
In recent days, vigils, protests and informative workshops on the rights of immigrants in the face of immigration operations have been organized.
For more information, visit QuéOnnda.com.
