Federal agents descended on another car wash Friday during an immigration enforcement operation that ended with at least four employees being detained in Studio City.
Customers waiting for their vehicles witnessed the operation unfold in the middle of the morning rush at Studio City Hand Car Wash.
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“I was looking at my phone and all of a sudden, I heard all of these screams going on from the people who worked here to the customers,” said customer Jay Shwartz. “There were little children here witnessing this. People were screaming.”
Customers say they witnessed federal agents hop out of several Jeep vehicles and begin detaining people.
“It was horrible. It was like being in a war movie,” said Shwartz.
At least four people were detained as a result of the raid, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
“U.S. Border Patrol conducted a targeted immigration enforcement operation at Studio City Hand Car Wash in Studio City, Los Angeles, that resulted in the arrest of 4 illegal aliens from Guatemala and Mexico. Lino Miguel Trinidad, a criminal illegal alien from Mexico, was previously arrested for possession of marijuana for sale,” wrote a DHS spokesperson in a statement to NBCLA.
The popular car wash location sits on Ventura Boulevard and is famously identified by the large statue of a hand holding a sign and a car. The business was closed for the remainder of the day as a result of the raid.
It’s still unclear why DHS chose the Studio City car wash location.
The recent immigration enforcement operations in Los Angeles and other parts of Southern California are part of President Trump’s campaign promise to carry out a mass deportation plan.
Through Aug. 29, nearly 61,000 migrants had been taken into ICE detention since the start of President Trump’s second term, according NBC News, which used ICE data both public and internal as well as data from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency. About 29% of those in detention had criminal convictions; 25.6% had pending criminal charges; 45% were listed as “other immigration violator;” and 11.6% were fast-tracked for deportation.
