Anti-ICE activists protest inside Home Depot in Westlake, stopping business temporarily
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- As part of May Day, anti-ICE demonstrators marched into a Home Depot store in Westlake Friday afternoon and staged a protest, stopping business for a short time.
Several protesters holding yellow signs that said "ICE out of The Home Depot" gathered near the entrance of the store and some took over checkout stands. Business was shut down for about 20 minutes.
Los Angeles police arrived within minutes, prompting protesters to leave and begin chanting outside.
Organizers accuse Home Depot of being complicit in ICE raids and are demanding the company take "proactive steps" to protect day laborers from arrests.
Home Depot denied allegations of collaborating with ICE.
"We aren't notified that immigration enforcement activities are going to happen, and we aren't involved in the operations. We aren't coordinating with ICE or Border Patrol. We cannot legally interfere with federal enforcement agencies, including preventing them from coming into our stores and parking lots," Home Depot said in a statement.
Federal agents have targeted several Home Depot stores in the Los Angeles area since the Trump administration ramped up its immigration crackdown last summer.
