A year after ICE raids terrorized Los Angeles, a rattled city counts its scars: ‘The arrests never really stopped’

Article excerpt

A year after federal ICE raids swept through Los Angeles last summer, arresting thousands and sparking mass protests, the city's immigrant communities remain visibly scarred. In East Los Angeles, where resident Brian Gavidia has lived his entire life, the neighborhood appears outwardly normal, families gathering at restaurants, life continuing. Yet beneath the surface, the fear persists. Community members describe ongoing arrests that never really stopped, the trauma of families separated, and the lingering anxiety that has reshaped daily life in ways that outsiders may not immediately recognize.