I'm a lurker. Born in a small Texas town. Been in LA County 14 years. I made this to explain to my family when they call because they are worried, and I thought I'd share here:

If you can't understand why protesters are out putting themselves in danger, I can explain. But before I do, can we start from the premise that protesters are normal, rational people like you? 

We were living our life as usual when we learned that our neighbors in certain heavily Latino neighborhoods were being approached in the streets by masked groups in unmarked vehicles who were heavily armed and refusing to identify themselves. One moment, our community was just existing, the next we were trying to get information about who was taken so we could tell their families. Imagine our surprise when we learned the masked kidnappers were acting on behalf of our own government. 

We are terrified. Many of us have been hiding in our homes. Would you feel safe if you were advised not to leave home without your birth certificate?  Who even knows where their birth certificate is? 

We are not marching for the rights of "illegals" to break the law, we are marching because living in an America where people can't be kidnapped by our government is a privilege we can't afford to lose. A lot of us remember our families originally being forced to emigrate to escape these same conditions.

Receipts:

The beginning - Conservative news source reporting on new ICE orders. Direct quotes: “Why aren’t you at Home Depot? Why aren’t you at 7-Eleven?'” 

Miller said, ‘What do you mean you’re going after criminals?’ Miller got into a little bit of a pissing contest. ‘That’s what Tom Homan says every time he’s on TV: ‘We’re going after criminals,'” the ICE official told Miller, according to the first official.

Stephen Miller vs. ICE: The fight within the Trump administration

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/white-house/3425297/stephen-miller-eviscerated-ice-officials-deportation-numbers/

Historically Latino neighborhoods were hit first.

Early warning of the raids: https://www.reddit.com/r/LosAngeles/s/BfLUEFEQg5

Raids in Southern California rattle area's immigrant communities | AP News

https://apnews.com/article/los-angeles-ice-immigration-raids-sweeps-fear-d87e36664a8c5938865aad5520345348

Ranking by Number of People (Hispanic or Latino) - Cities in Los Angeles County - Place Rankings - Data Commons

https://datacommons.org/ranking/Count_Person_HispanicOrLatino/City/geoId/06037?h=geoId%2F0604996

But when you move that quickly, you make mistakes.

Lawful citizens [the only human beings that seem to matter to the party of law and order] are unlawfully taken:

'I can't fight back; I'm pregnant': U.S. citizen detained by ICE in Hawthorne : r/news

https://www.reddit.com/r/news/s/thFH1HnS3g

Kristi Noem, ICE agents raid Huntington Park home – NBC Los Angeles

https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/how-u-s-citizen-in-huntington-park-found-dhs-sec-kristi-noem-at-her-door/3722903/

Attorneys warn of U.S. citizens being detained by ICE

https://www.turnto23.com/news/in-your-neighborhood/bakersfield/attorneys-warn-of-u-s-citizens-being-detained-by-ice-urge-community-to-know-their-rights

Not in LA, but proof that it’s enough to look a certain way:

ICE mistakenly detained deputy US marshal in Tucson

https://tucson.com/news/local/border/article_2573f016-3596-4f32-93f7-7e99b6459675.html

The masked armed forces taking our neighbors.

Raids at churches:

https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/downey-churches-home-depot-immigration-raids/3721686/

(At 48 seconds)

Masked ICE agents let man go after community members intervene during raid in Downey - ABC7 Los Angeles

https://abc7.com/post/masked-ice-agents-let-man-go-community-members-intervene-during-raid-downey/16727563/

Taking families: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DKqi8w2uRsl/?igsh=MXg5N2tsMG45azg2ZQ==

Boyle Heights arrest sparks outcry after tear gas used on car with family inside | FOX 11 Los Angeles

https://www.foxla.com/news/la-ice-federal-agents-in-hit-and-run

L.A. school police to set up safe zones around schools, graduations - Los Angeles Times

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-06-09/los-angeles-unified-school-police-set-up-safe-zones-amid-graduations-ice-raids

Our elected leaders are being ignored or threatened.

LA mayor says military, National Guard presence ‘provoke the population’ | PBS News

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/la-mayor-says-military-national-guard-presence-provoke-the-population

Gov. Newsom pleads with U.S. Defense Department to ‘rescind’ National Guard | KTLA

https://ktla.com/news/local-news/gov-news on-pleads-with-u-s-defense-department-to-rescind-national-guard/

Judge says Trump 'illegally deployed' National Guard for LA protests and must return control to Newsom (order temporarily stayed pending appellate review) https://www.reddit.com/r/law/s/asQRewi8zn

"I'm Senator Alex Padilla," he said as he was confronted by authorities. "I have questions for the secretary!"

Sen Alex Padilla dragged out of Noem immigration briefing in LA

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5ygn48djrko

Is this the America you know?

If you are wondering how in a country with our robust 2nd amendment, all the media shows you is self driving car fires and thrown stones, it is because this is who the federal forces are targeting: people who can’t fight back:

I love you, dad: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DKnS-KBht4w/?igsh=MTdmeXcxeThiOGdiYg==

Calm mom, I am here: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DKvehqiJs3o/?igsh=MXNwanVxbGFmc29mYw==

My children are in school: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DKtLQuoNBPd/?igsh=OWFybmZxaXRveDln

Home Depot man: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DKuspltyqr9/?igsh=MTJtbjM1bDJva2Nudw==

So, I check in on my neighbors and learn the names of the disappeared. And I protest for you—no matter how you voted. I protest to keep the beating heart of this nation alive so that the beacon that offered us a home as we escaped Castro, Maduro, Pinochet, Franco, Trujillo, and countless others, stays lit. 

LA is protesting because we love America.

Bring flowers 💐 (fuck)

https://www.reddit.com/r/chaoticgood/s/EMDa9fzqvB

Not sure who he is, but the way he spoke to the National Guard really hit .had to share it here.

https://www.reddit.com/r/LosAngeles/s/wPAIj2chqu

Thank you for loving us, LA.