False reports of immigration sweeps in Los Angeles spread amid wildfires
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Amid heightened anxiety over deadly wildfires and erroneous evacuation alerts, Angelenos got another dose of panic Friday when a social media hoax about immigration sweeps in Los Angeles began to circulate online.
The false report is a single message from an unknown sender who states that people had spotted U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in several South L.A. neighborhoods as well as in nearby cities including Pasadena, El Segundo and Inglewood.
The Department of Homeland Security said no large-scale enforcement operations were taking place in Southern California.
The sender of the false report also said that a friend worked in the city of Lakewood and passed along information that ICE had been conducting raids at WinCo Foods, a supermarket chain, and other area businesses in that area.
Emergency evacuation alerts have gone off the rails, pinging people seemingly at random. Experts say that such errors can sow mistrust in the alert system, potentially endangering residents down the line.
A spokesperson for WinCo Foods could not immediately be reached for comment. An employee at a Lakewood branch store, who asked not to be identified because they were not authorized to speak to the media, said no immigration sweeps were happening at the grocery store.
Lakewood City Manager Thaddeus McCormack said federal law enforcement agencies don’t inform the city about operations, but he added that he was not aware of any deployment of immigration officers in the area.
He said he heard similar rumors including false claims of immigration checkpoints on Lakewood Boulevard, one of the city’s main thoroughfares.
“I can tell you that hasn’t manifested,” he said.
Alethea Smock, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson, said there were no large-scale enforcement operations taking place in Southern California.
In a written statement, the federal agency said it does not conduct immigration enforcement activities during major emergencies, especially in “protected areas” that include evacuation routes, sites used for shelter or distribution of emergency supplies, registration sites for disaster-related assistance or reunification of families and loved ones.
“DHS is committed to ensuring that every individual who seeks shelter, aid, or other assistance as a result of a natural disaster or emergency event is able to do so regardless of their immigration status,” the statement read.
Experts say social media plays a role in spreading misinformation during natural disasters; share tips on how to identify it.
The hoax comes 10 days before President-elect Donald Trump takes office. Trump has promised to launch mass deportations on the day he takes office and selected Thomas Homan, the former acting ICE director, to serve as his “border czar” to see it through.
The hoax is also similar to those that circulated across the country during Trump’s first presidential term. False reports about immigration checkpoints and sweeps spread across various social media platforms, prompting police investigations.
Times staff writer Noah Haggerty contributed to this report.
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