Federal agents use Penske truck in immigration raid at Home Depot parking lot in Westlake

WESTLAKE, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Federal agents used a Penske rental truck during an immigration raid at a Home Depot parking lot in the Westlake area of Los Angeles and took several people into custody Wednesday morning.

The immigration raid happened just before 7 a.m. outside the store on Wilshire Boulevard, according to witnesses who watched it unfold.

Video taken from the scene shows agents loading several people into the back of a Penske rental truck.

"They kidnapped approximately 10 people that we're hearing (about.) We've been talking to the community members and the vendors and the day laborers that are here," said Tony Carfello, an organizer with the LA Tenants Union.

The Department of Homeland Security has not confirmed how many people were taken.

"(They) blocked off a portion of the parking lot and started indiscriminately grabbing whoever they could, and they took people out here just trying to make money and trying to survive and trying to work and take care of themselves," Carfello added.

One of the people who was taken is the sister of a street vendor who was helping her set up a food stand in the morning. That street vendor told Eyewitness News off-camera that the agents ran over to them, but only took her sister.

She added that her sister has been in the country for 13 years and has children, but has never had any problems with law enforcement.

A witness said he was waiting for someone to load his truck at the Home Depot when he saw the moving van pull up, and that's when some people looking for work approached him.

'We were right there talking, and after, it just happened so fast," the witness said. "They opened the back and everybody started running, and they arrested some people, like four or three people. They were all running, everyone, there was like three, four vans full with border patrol."

Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said in a post on X that the federal government is proceeding with immigration raids.

"For those who thought immigration enforcement had stopped in Southern California, think again. The enforcement of federal law is not negotiable, and there are no sanctuaries from the reach of the federal government," Essayli said.

This comes after the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld maintaining a temporary restraining order against indiscriminate immigration stops and arrests in seven Southern California counties, including L.A.

Last month, a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order prohibiting immigration agents from stopping individuals without reasonable suspicion. The court order has restricted the raids, but not stopped them.

The order also barred agents from relying solely on factors such as race and ethnicity, speaking with an accent or being at locations such as bus stops, car washes or agricultural sites as a basis for detaining people.

L.A. Mayor Karen Bass' office issued the following statement in response to Wednesday's raid:

"For months federal agents have been masking themselves and now they're using rental trucks to conduct their seemingly discriminatory raids - these tactics are dangerous. The Federal court of appeals made clear that it is unconstitutional in this country to racially profile people and snatch them from worksites. The City is gathering information about these reported raids and considering all legal options. Tactics like this are un-American and we will never accept these terrorizing ploys as a new normal."

Penske issued the following statement:

"Penske Truck Rental is aware of recent reports and videos regarding a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) operation in Los Angeles.

Penske strictly prohibits the transportation of people in the cargo area of its vehicles under any circumstances. The company was not made aware that its trucks would be used in today's operation and did not authorize this. Penske will reach out ot DHS and reinforce its policy to avoid improper use of its vehicles in the future."