An apparent immigration enforcement operation took place in Los Angeles’ Fashion District Thursday as armed federal agents blocked traffic with unmarked vehicles.
It happened at around 11 a.m. near 11th Street and Maple Avenue, prompting people in the area to run and scream, a witness named Angel said.
“It was chaotic,” described the man who works in the area, adding that he saw about 10 agents during the apparent operation.
Representatives from the LA Fashion District also confirmed the “federal activity” in a statement.
“We understand that moments like this can feel unsettling, and we want our community to know that we are aware and engaged,” the statement said. “We are working closely with our City leadership, and our team is fully focused on supporting the businesses and people who make this District thrive.”
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said she was alarmed by “multiple reports” of immigration enforcement activity in the Fashion District.
“This show of force by ICE is particularly troubling given the recent ICE escalation and violence in American cities, including the fatal shootings of Keith Porter Jr. by an off-duty ICE agent on New Year’s Eve here in Los Angeles and Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis,” Bass said in a statement. “Angelenos – and the Americans across the country – have made it clear: we want ICE out of our cities.”
It was not immediately clear whether anyone was detained from the operation.
NBC Los Angeles reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment.
LA’s Fashion District is where the federal government launched immigration enforcement operations in Los Angeles in June 2025, detaining dozens of people from workplaces.
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