Trump directs ICE to expand deportations in Democratic-run cities, including Los Angeles

In response to the ICE raids across Los Angeles, labor and immigrant rights groups are launching what they're calling a "Summer of Resistance," a rapid response effort calling for an end to the raids and mass deportations.

Several groups gathered Friday afternoon at La Plazita Olvera in downtown Los Angeles, calling the raids "a moral and spiritual issue." Friday marked one week of increased demonstrations in L.A., crisis response and for many, grief.

"What we have lived through and witnessed in the past few days is terrorism against our community," said Martha Arévalo, the executive director of the Central American Resource Center (CARECEN). "We have witnessed kidnappings of our community."

The 30-day campaign centers on non-violent tactics, including fasting, prayer, art, and know-your-rights training sessions.

"The campaign is rooted in tactics from the civil rights to the farm worker movement, and that's why we're here as a united front," said Vladimir Carrasco with the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles.

The groups gathered against an art installation of the U.S. Constitution, brought in by a collective of artists.

"The 'We the People,' for me, is a reminder of where our power is, and who this country is supposed to exist for," said Bill Moyer, the executive director of the Backbone Campaign, a nonviolent movement-building organization that uses creative tactical tools and artful activism. "I feel like it's intensely important for people who have tools to show up with those tools."

Meanwhile, members of United Teachers Los Angeles expressed their support for students and families that have been impacted by the raids.

"My father was deported when I was a teenager, and so I know a lot of my students are going through the same thing," said one member.

Attendance counselors said they want families experiencing fear to know there are resources in schools.

"Please come to the schools and ask to speak with the attendance counselor, because we can help you find and refer us for housing, immigration, food, mental health support," said Sofia Ryan, a child welfare and attendance counselor.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has deployed its National Response Team to Los Angeles to investigate a series of fires set during recent anti-ICE demonstrations in downtown L.A.

At least two Waymo vehicles and a CHP patrol vehicle were seen being set on fire last weekend amid escalating tensions in L.A. as thousands of protesters took to the streets in response to President Donald Trump's extraordinary deployment of the National Guard.

Waymo announced Monday it is temporarily suspending service in downtown L.A. after several of its self-driving cars were torched Sunday. The self-driving cars will still operate in other parts of the city. Waymo cars use lithium-ion batteries, which release toxic gases into the air when burned.

The National Response Team, composed of veteran ATF Special Agents, forensic chemists, explosives enforcement officers, fire protection engineers, accelerant detection canines, explosives detection canines, specialists in intelligence, computer forensics and audit support, will work to determine the origin and cause of the fires and identify those responsible.

"The cause of these fires is quite obvious," said ATF Special Agent in Charge Kenneth Cooper of the Los Angeles Field Division. "The task at hand now is to determine who is responsible. ATF's National Response Team is going to be a tremendous asset, and we look forward to the results of their efforts to hold the responsible parties accountable."

Previously, the ATF National Response Team has been deployed to the Maui wildfire disaster, the Conception dive boat fire and the 2020 Midwest civil unrest.

A family is outraged after a man - who they say is a U.S. citizen - was taken into custody during an ICE raid at his workplace in Montebello.

The incident happened around 4:30 p.m. Thursday. Video shared with Eyewitness News shows Javier Ramirez in handcuffs sitting on the ground outside his towing yard business. Agents also arrested an employee at the business.

"He has diabetes. He screamed, 'I have my passport! I have my ID! I'm a U.S. citizen!' They did not care,'" said a close friend of Ramirez who was there during the incident.

The friend said he argued with the agents, begging them to free Ramirez, but said the agents refused and even threatened to arrest him if he didn't back off.

Ramirez was born in San Bernardino and is a single father of two, according to his family. His family members are worried and don't know where agents took him without allowing Ramirez to take his insulin medication with him.

"I'm just scared that we can't find him," said Abimael Dominguez, Ramirez's brother. "We don't know where he's at. We've been trying to locate him. I don't know how he is, if he's even alive at all at this point."

Dominguez said he and his brother have been operating the tow yard for more than a decade. He said when ICE agents raided their business, Ramirez screamed, "ICE! Immigration!"

"They seemed like they were offended over that, by letting the people know inside the premises that ICE immigration was inside the premises," said Dominguez. "As you can see in the video, they targeted him right away. They dropped him on the floor. There was two guys, you know, he has a right to not get arrested because he's an American citizen. He's letting them know, but just because he's letting people know, they need to come down."

The U.S. Attorney's Office said Ramirez was arrested for assaulting an ICE agent and is expected to be charged with assaulting a federal officer. They noted that Ramirez was not arrested in connection with his immigration status.

Law enforcement leaders came together Friday to discuss their preparations ahead of demonstrations planned for the weekend.

The agencies present at the news conference included the Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, and the California Highway Patrol.

Over 2,000 protests are planned nationwide in what's being called "No Kings Day," which also coincides with President Donald Trump's 79th birthday.

"We're talking about two things right now, one is the national exorbitant and frankly authoritarian military parade happening in DC tomorrow," said Hunter Dunn, one of the organizers for No Kings National Day of Defiance Coalition. "Our communities are under attack by the federal government, ICE has shown up without warrants, serving as the administration's personal Gestapo, kidnapping people from churches, graduations, from people going to their court appointments."

To curb any potential of violence over the weekend, the late-night curfew in downtown Los Angeles has been extended and will take place each night through the weekend from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.

"The curfew has played a key role in helping to restore order, particularly by curbing the criminal activity that was largely ocurring during the evening hours," said LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell.

LAPD will continue to operate under a Unified Command with the L.A. County Sheriff's Department, CHP and the Los Angeles Fire Department.

"The coordinated approach ensures that we're sharing intelligence, aligning resources and responding quickly and effectively as conditions continue to evolve," McDonnell said.

The chief reminded everyone planning to protest this weekend to do so peacefully.

"Help us to ensure that the focus remains on the message and not on mayhem," he said.

"We do not want violent agitators out there destroying property or committing acts of violence, specifically against our police officers, deputy sheriff's and CHP officers," said L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna.

Sheriff Luna said he has had 10 deputies injured as a result of these agitators' actions, which at times have involved rocks, Molotov cocktails and commercial pyrotechnics.

The sheriff added that as the lead Mutual Aid coordinator for Los Angeles County, he is in constant communication with other law enforcement agencies, including representatives from the California Office of Emergency Services, and conducts daily checks to ensure any required needs are met.

"So we are coordinating these requests, asking for additional personnel, not always only to be deployed but to be staged at strategic locations around this area to make sure that we are going to respond when our partners need us," Luna said.

Sheriff Luna said the agency is at about 170% over what they normally staff for the weekend, just to be prepared for the events this weekend that not only include over 30 planned demonstrations, but two major soccer matches at SoFi Stadium, and added vigilance stemming from the Israel-Iran conflict.

"We have activated special response teams, which are specially trained officers, and they will all be activated, working throughout the state of California," said CHP Deputy Commissioner Ezery Beauchamp.

Beauchamp said the CHP is on tactical alert in L.A. County, meaning that all days off for CHP officers are canceled.

"So that we can provide the highest level of safety and service to everyone here in Los Angeles County, and so that we're ready to stand with our law enforcement partners tomorrow in ensuring that safe events take place here in Los Angeles County," Beauchamp said.

CHP officers will be on active patrol throughout the state looking for areas of concern to ensure everyone remains safe, according to Beauchamp. He added that CHP will be flying their patrol aircraft to make sure demonstrations remain safe, as well as for the safety of law enforcement officers.

A rally is scheduled to take place in downtown Riverside Saturday at 5:30 p.m. near the intersection of Market and University.

"We're expecting a peaceful event. Our job as law enforcement is to help facilitate a safe and peaceful environment for anyone coming out to express their First Amendment rights, that's what we're going to do," said Riverside Police Officer Ryan Railsback. "If you're going to come here and try to harm our businesses, or try to harm law enforcement, we're not going to tolerate that, we're going to take the appropriate action that needs to be taken."

One of the largest SoCal demonstrations is set to begin around 10 a.m. in Grand Park in downtown L.A.

Watch the full news conference below: