"When alarm goes off ICE is in the community. Get off the streets, take shelter and lock down. Since the summer, immigration advocates have looked for ways to warn community members in L.A. when an immigration sweep was imminent. But lately, especially since the killings of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti in Minnesota in January, advocates have been looking for approaches that provide some distance."
"The sirens, some activists told The Times, can also help protect activists while still alerting residents to ICE agents in the area. Videos have shown ICE agents ordering activists to keep their distance and to stop recording, at times threatening to arrest or detain activists. But the recent fatal shootings have heightened the sense of danger."
Since President Trump took office, Los Angeles has experienced increased Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in business districts and neighborhoods. Community activists have responded by installing loud sirens across areas like Highland Park to warn residents of ICE presence and encourage people to seek shelter indoors. Fliers in English and Spanish explain that when the alarm sounds, residents should get off streets and lock down. Immigration advocates previously used direct monitoring methods, with some activists recording agent interactions and warning nearby residents. However, recent fatal shootings involving ICE agents have prompted activists to seek safer warning approaches. The sirens provide distance between activists and enforcement agents while still alerting community members to potential danger.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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