Raman, L.A. leaders join in condemnation after ICE officers detain two near Boyle Heights hospital
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- Federal immigration agents reportedly detained two people late Friday night near an anti-ICE demonstration at a Boyle Heights hospital.
- Video shared on social media shows officers pinning one person, accused of “assaulting a federal agent,” onto the sidewalk.
- “What happened last night at this hospital was an affront to the wishes of the American people and the people of Los Angeles,” says Mayor-elect Nithya Raman.
Federal immigration officers detained two people late Friday evening amid an anti-ICE protest near a Boyle Heights hospital, sparking additional action by community immigrant advocates and swift condemnation from city leaders, including Mayor-elect Nithya Raman.
“The Trump administration is unwelcome not just in Los Angeles but all over this country,” Raman said Saturday afternoon in Boyle Heights. “What happened last night at this hospital was an affront to the wishes of the American people and the people of Los Angeles.”
Raman, alongside elected officials City Councilmember Ysabel Jurado and California state Sen. María Elena Durazo, among others, spoke strongly against federal immigration officers just hours after the latest violent fray with Angelenos. Immigration agents took the two detainees into custody during a demonstration at Adventist White Memorial Hospital, Boyle Heights Beat reported on Saturday.
“I’m appalled by what took place last night at White Memorial hospital in Boyle Heights, where ICE agents were obstructing emergency room entry and detained two US citizens,” Raman wrote on X on Saturday.
First Assistant U.S. Atty. Bill Essayli responded with a lengthy statement claiming that ICE agents were at the hospital to obtain medical treatment for a detainee who requested to see a doctor when people started harassing them.
“These agitators created a dangerous situation for the public and law enforcement,” he wrote. “Law enforcement will never back down to thugs, so efforts to intimidate ICE will fail. They called for backup, controlled the scene, and arrested two individuals who assaulted federal agents.”
A spokesperson for the LAPD confirmed federal agents were present at the hospital while a person in their custody received medical treatment.
The rep said the LAPD received reports that “large groups had assembled at the hospital and were causing a disturbance.” Video from OnScene Media showed protesters confronting a line of masked immigration officers appearing to block an ambulance entrance to the hospital.
Mayor Karen Bass on Saturday condemned the agents who “gathered in force,” writing on social media “that presence was frightening at the worst possible moment” for patients and their families.
Videos of a Long Beach resident screaming that his arm is broken and begging for help as he is pinned to the ground by immigration agents have sparked outrage in the community.
“A hospital should be the one place where people feel safe,” Bass posted on X. “No one should have to think twice about receiving care or fear that a loved one’s treatment could be interrupted because of their immigration status.”
In a video shared to social media by observer Michelle Rivera, officers can be seen pinning a person down on the sidewalk at the intersection of Boyle Avenue and Pennsylvania Avenue, near the hospital. In the video, bystanders can be heard telling agents to let the detainee go. One officer, wearing a face covering and a vest emblazoned with “POLICE ICE,” tells onlookers to back away from the scene, ordering them, “Do not impede with the arrest.”
The person behind the camera accused immigration officials of detaining two people who are U.S. citizens. An officer can be heard accusing the detainees of “interfering” with an arrest and informing onlookers, “We have criminal arrest authority.” An officer can also be heard telling a person off-camera, “Your brother assaulted a federal agent.
“He’s being arrested for assaulting a federal agent,” the officer continued in the video. “He’s coming with us.”
In Rivera’s video, the person behind the camera can be heard asking followers to amplify the video and tag local immigrant advocacy groups.
According to OnScene Media, numerous protesters were pushed and pepper-sprayed. Video shows a young woman on her knees, crying, as other people pour water on her face. The federal agents departed the hospital shortly after a priest appeared at the scene of the protest, video shows.
LAPD said it received a second call from hospital security at around 2:24 a.m., alleging approximately 30 protesters “gathered at the hospital and breached the ambulance access area.” Police responded to “maintain public safety, preserve access to emergency medical services, and keep the peace,” the spokesperson said.
“At no point did LAPD officers participate in federal immigration enforcement activities, assist with immigration enforcement operations, or detain any individuals on behalf of federal immigration authorities,” the spokesperson added. The LAPD also said officers “made contact with members of the group, who cooperated with officers and dispersed without further incident.”
The decision to drop the charge of assault on a federal officer came after Carlos Jimenez’s defense lawyers demanded records related to the shooting.
Nick Samaniego, a spokesperson for Adventist Health Communications, confirmed in a statement to The Times that a person in federal immigration custody received care at the hospital. The statement noted that the hospital neither requested nor authorized federal agents to restrict the ambulance entrance.
“White Memorial does not participate in immigration enforcement,” the statement said. “We know last night frightened our neighbors. No matter what happens outside our doors, everyone who comes inside is our patient, and our focus will only be on that patient, and it will not change.”
Community members returned Saturday afternoon for a demonstration near the hospital. At the event, organized by the Boyle Heights Immigrant Rights Network, Sen. Durazo said federal agents had “no justification” for their actions late Friday evening and early Saturday morning and that she expects “higher protection of our community” from White Memorial.
“You also carry a responsibility,” she said during the Saturday afternoon gathering.
City Councilmember Jurado said in a statement on Saturday that she was “deeply troubled” by reports of the incident at White Memorial and called on the hospital to “publicly disclose its agreements with ICE and end any voluntary medical-services contract with the agency.” She also called on hospital leaders to further protect patients.
Raman concluded her address Saturday afternoon with a message to the residents of Boyle Heights: “You are not alone. This is your city, you belong here, and we will all fight together to make sure everyone is protected.”
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