Photo: AFP
Video of a military-style vehicle appearing in a Compton neighborhood during what witnesses said was an immigration raid is sparking concerns among the community.
In the video, a person wearing fatigues, a helmet, and what appeared to be body armor stood in the open hatch of a green military-style vehicle while holding a gun in Compton on June 9. The video was taken from across the street, so the vehicle and the armed person can only be partially viewed.
Neighbors and witnesses told the Los Angeles Times that the vehicle took down the front gate of a home. Immigration enforcement officers then conducted a raid, taking a family of five to seven people, at least two of whom were children, away from the home, according to witnesses.
It's unclear what agency conducted the action.
On Sunday (June 15), the L.A. County Sheriff's Department said it was "unaware of an incident."
The National Guard referred questions to the U.S. Northern Command, from which a spokesperson said that “the person in this video is not a service member." The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the White House, and ICE all declined to comment on the incident.
Next-door neighbor Jesse Ramirez said he was at work during the alleged raid, but his family members witnessed the incident, and other neighbors recorded.
“They took our neighbors,” Ramirez said. “They came and tore down the fence with one of their armored vehicles.”
According to Ramirez, five people of Mexican descent, including two parents, a third adult, and two teenagers, were detained and haven't returned home.
Another neighbor, Frank Cervantes, said his Ring camera captured the incident.
“It was like a war vehicle — SWAT-style,” Cervantes said. “That’s horrible, man. It’s almost authoritarian.”
“They need to be near the border fighting fentanyl, what are they doing here?” he added.
Everyone in the neighborhood is now "stressed" about what's to come.
“It’s a bit scary, considering I have family who are immigrants,” Ramirez said. “The lengths they’ll go to — they took kids. ... That’s traumatic for them to go through.”
Watch video obtained by the L.A. Times here.
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