Introduction to the Incident
Federal immigration agents detained a man in Cypress Park on Tuesday whose toddler was strapped into the back seat of his vehicle, according to video shared with The Times. After two agents climbed into his car — along with their weapons — they drove off with the child as onlookers protested.
Details of the Detention
The 32-year-old man who was detained during the enforcement operation at a Home Depot was a U.S. citizen, according to an immigration lawyer who spoke with his family. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told The Times on Tuesday night that the man allegedly “exited his vehicle wielding a hammer and threw rocks at law enforcement while he had a child in his car.”
“He was arrested for assault and during his arrest a pistol was found in his car, that is reported stolen out of the state of New York,” the statement read. “The individual has an active warrant for property damage.”
Reaction from the Community
The incident was among several immigration enforcement operations in L.A. County, activists said, after agents were seen early Tuesday amassing outside of Dodger Stadium. In Cypress Park, the Los Angeles Rapid Response Network — a coalition of more than 50 organizations and groups and over 1,500 volunteers — said a member of their group recorded masked agents detaining the father before agents got in the car and drove off with the toddler. In the video, people could be seen confronting agents as they tried to drive away with the child.
The Aftermath
The toddler has since been reunited with her family. Lindsay Toczylowski, co-founder of Immigrant Defenders Law Center, confirmed that the man in the video was the father of the child. She said the firm had reached out to the family thinking that the father would be in immigration custody but then learned that he and his toddler were both U.S. citizens.
She said the law firm would now be working with the federal public defender’s office “to ensure he’s represented if he’s not released shortly.” She said the toddler, who turns 2 in January, is safe, although “the family is obviously traumatized by the incident.”
Response from Activists
She said the family received a call from federal immigration authorities and were told to pick up the child at the federal building in downtown Los Angeles. “The fact that they were getting into that car, heavily armed, with masks on their face, they put that toddler in extreme danger,” she said. “It should shock everyone’s conscience that we have masked armed men behaving like that with a U.S. citizen father and a toddler who were just going to run an errand at Home Depot on a random Tuesday.”
Wider Immigration Enforcement Operations
Immigrant rights groups said the roving enforcement operation in Cypress Park was just one of several that were carried out across Los Angeles County on Tuesday.
Angelica Salas, executive director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, whose group is part of the coalition, said people were pulled off roofs in Glendale and Burbank as well as at bus stops. She said at least one CHIRLA member was detained at a bus stop while their two daughters were at school.
“It was a crazy day,” she said. “It’s just awful and it started with this arrest and it continued during the entire day.”
Possible Motivations Behind the Operations
Salas speculated that the operations were spurred by California’s special election on Proposition 50. The ballot measure to redraw the state’s congressional districts was crafted by the state’s Democrats in response to President Trump urging Texas and other GOP-majority states to modify their congressional maps to favor Republicans, a move designed to maintain Republican control of the U.S. House of Representatives. “They wanted to create chaos,” Salas said. “The collateral damage are our people.”
Government and Public Reaction
In a video posted to X, Gov. Gavin Newsom accused Trump of trying to suppress the vote in any way he could and referenced Border Patrol showing up at a kickoff rally for Prop. 50 “to intimidate.”
“He has folks dressed up in tactical gear, ICE and Border Patrol, hundred plus officers in LA as I speak, to intimidate and chill free expression, free speech, to intimidate voters,” he said. “He does not believe in fair and free elections. What more evidence do we need of the importance of proposition 50.”
Conclusion
The incident in Cypress Park and the broader immigration enforcement operations across Los Angeles County have sparked widespread concern and outrage. The use of heavily armed agents and the detention of a U.S. citizen and his toddler have been particularly criticized. As the situation continues to unfold, it remains to be seen how the community and authorities will respond to these events.
FAQs
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What happened in Cypress Park?
- Federal immigration agents detained a U.S. citizen whose toddler was in the back seat of his vehicle. The agents then drove off with the child, sparking protests from onlookers.
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Why were the immigration agents in the area?
- The agents were part of several immigration enforcement operations in L.A. County, possibly related to California’s special election on Proposition 50.
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What has been the reaction from the community and activists?
- The community and activists have expressed outrage and concern over the use of heavily armed agents and the detention of a U.S. citizen and his toddler. They speculate that the operations were intended to create chaos and suppress votes.
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What is Proposition 50?
- Proposition 50 is a ballot measure to redraw the state’s congressional districts, crafted by California’s Democrats in response to President Trump’s efforts to modify congressional maps in GOP-majority states to favor Republicans.
- How has the government responded to the situation?
- Gov. Gavin Newsom has accused President Trump of trying to suppress votes and intimidate voters through the use of ICE and Border Patrol agents. The Los Angeles Rapid Response Network has denounced the presence of armed federal agents, stating it is meant to cause chaos and threaten the community.
