You're listening to Later with Moe Kelly on demand from KFI AM six forty.
There's so much going on today, There's so much going on this week. Got to check in with what's going on in and around Los Angeles right now. If you're not aware, you might have heard Tim Conwell Junior talk about some of the protests, the immigration ice raids, which have been going on for the better part of today. The protests have been amassing in various parts of the city.
Let me give you a little background on them. I want to head back to that breaking news of ice raids happening in several locations across LA.
Let's get up the Rich Bricketty's overhead one of those locations in downtown Los Angeles, the Fashion District.
Rich Yeah, Glenna Crean, we are back in the Fashion district. This is the Abbiace Apperil store where the FBI, Homeland Security and ICE agents have been performing to rate a couple of hours ago, and they were inside for quite some time. And we're just now seeing some people that are b and detail being brought out from from the facility here about uh and a couple dozen people that
that have been that are now being taken into custody. Now, the FBI had brought in some reinforcements to help with the crowd control that had started to surround the building earlier on and uh there was quite a scuffle as a matter of fact, that they were trying to make room uh for these vans to make their way into the parking lot where they are now detaining several people from the Ambiance Apperil store here in.
The Fashion district.
You can see some of that crowd that still remains to the rear of the facility with all the FBI agents and a couple of the bear cats that arrived here. So they did need to bring in some some some backup here to help with the crowd crowd control so that they can bring in these vans.
Now we're seeing a.
Couple of people being detained. This is one of a few raids we have seen early this morning.
Uh, and two.
Locations in regards to this particular company, Ambiance Live in Sky five and Rich Prickett sent it back to you.
All right, Rich, just want to point out what you see earlier. This is what took place in the Westlake district. That was this morning.
That was another raid.
And now we've got this separate rate taking place in the Fashion district.
Give you some context if you were listening to the show last night, I told you about an ICE memo which had been handed down to implore ICE agents to step up their arrest efforts, also engage without the use of warrants where possible, but to also get up their overall arrest numbers. I said it last night, not that it was going to change anything today, but there specifically was an effort in place to have maximum enforcement, if
you will, across the United States. Now we're seeing it here in Los Angeles, but I expect there to be similar raids of a maximum show of force around the country this weekend. Why because ICE is basically said as much in its internal memos.
That's what ICE is going to do.
But also this is something I want to talk to people who may be directly or im directly impacted. I've received some notes from friends people who are concerned. They oftentimes will reach out to me because, like MO, you work in news and talk. You may know a little bit more about this than I do. And I try to give information and advice where I can. But the information and advice that I give today, unfortunately, is not going to be much different than what I gave months
ago going into the election. And I know we're talking about quote unquote I legal immigration, so we're not talking about voters. So I'm not going to blame people who can't vote about how they voted or did not vote. But I will say this. You'll turn on the TV right now if you want. I'm looking at KTLA channel five, also KNBSA channel four, and you'll see hundreds and hundreds
of protesters. You'll see very angry people, upset people wondering what is happening to family members, friends, And I tried to remind people that this was always coming, This was always coming. Then candidate Trump said that he was going to do this, And I think you should always take candidates at their word. And sometimes and I know this is about illegal immigration, so I'm not talking about people
in that community. They would not have that vote. But sometimes you as a voter, you vote for things which don't necessarily have to do with you. You don't always vote to get something. Sometimes you vote not to lose somethings. You don't always vote just for your personal interests. Maybe you vote for a larger community's interests and in the issue of immigration and illegal immigration and also immigration reform, it's not always about you individually, and I'm seeing that
in real time today. There are people who are being impacted right now. And you may not be Latino, you may not be Hispanic. And it's unfortunate that it's only being focused on the Latino and Hispanic communities. It's unfortunate because it sends the wrong idea that quote unquote illegal immigration is only an issue of the Latino community, and that couldn't be further from the truth. But that's how
people oftentimes want to perceive it, even wrongly. So but sometimes you got to remember your vote is not always about you. Sometimes you're voting because you know something or someone may impact somebody else. And I know I have a lot of friends and extended family actually as well as I think of it, who are being directly impacted by these immigration ice raids today. And what we see and what we've seen today is only the beginning. They're going to be more they're going to be more expansive
and extensive. They may be more aggressive, and we're going to see more protests. And I have to tell you, the protests will mean absolutely nothing. They will not make a bit of damn difference at all, not one little bit, because this is a federal issue, this is a legal issue, and being seen on TV and demonstrating how upset you are and how you won't stand for it will not mean a damn thing. And that's the reality, because we're dealing with federal law. We're dealing with policies and procedures
which are beyond a protest. If you're protesting now, it's too late. And if you feel that that's the only way that you can be seen and that's the only way that you can be heard, I can understand that. But that's more an emotional response, not a legal response. And honestly, there are a number of people you're going to hear the stories of people getting swept up in this who may not even be illegal immigrants, who may have been just there at the time with someone who
was arrested. And then you get caught up in a sweep and you may be here legally, and then you have to go through this process which may or may not have due process attached and hopefully that you'll be able to get your situation sorted out. But this is going to happen. This is going to get more expansive. This is going to probably include someone that you care about, someone that you know, someone that you love. And the only thing I can say is they told you from
the beginning this was going to happen. It's Later with mo Kelly ca if I Am six forty. We're live everywhere in the iHeartRadio app.
You're listening to Later with Mo Kelly on demand from KFI AM six forty.
IF I Am six forty is Later with mo Kelly live on YouTube, Instagram, and the iHeartRadio app. And just want to reset for you. Maybe you're just tuning into the show. Maybe you are hearing report about what has been going on downtown today with immigration raids and also protesters.
Just to reset.
Federal Immigration agents ICE agents rated a few locations in downtown LA this Friday, and there were there's not an exact number, but at least dozens of people have been detained, slashed, arrested. I can't tell you specifically because we don't know the specifics of what is happening to the individuals who've been at the minimum detained. Some have been arrested, for example, at a home depot in Westlake District, near downtown LA.
There were masked officers wearing vests emblazoned with HSI, which means Homeland Security Investigations. They were seen taking people into custody. You may see the video of people with hands behind their back, presumably under some level of detention I can't say arrest. In other words, taken into a custody and
then booked with some sort of immigration violation. Now there's a lot of footage which is floating around social media, some from legitimate news agencies, some from personal accounts and cameras, some from advocacy organizations. So you're going to see a lot of video from different angles. In fact, if you go to our YouTube video simulcast, we are showing you some of that video from various sources. Right now, we don't know whether this is going to be a one
day event. I talked last night about ICE's intention to amp up their arrest effort, get their numbers up, and be more aggressive than their posture regarding immigration specifically this weekend, and to that end, they have met that expectation, at least the internal expectation how that's going to play out as far as if it's just downtown LA today and another portion of LA County tomorrow.
We don't know that. We don't know if.
It's just focused in this particular portion of the city or whether they will expand to other portions of the state is unclear. But we know that this is part of a wider effort and a federal effort in the sense of there will be multiple cities and multiple locations within those cities all throughout this weekend. Specifically because this is one of these points of I will say higher enforcement. You know, like if you have a holiday weekend, CHP
will promise maximum enforcement. It feels like that where there will be a much more measurable and recognizable law enforcement presence. This just having to do with immigration. Now, if you're just spanning news media most television, they're not necessarily following this, but we hear at CAFI, we are staying on it. We're trying to see if there's any type of conflagration
between protesters and law enforcement. We don't know whether there are different law enforcement agencies which are going to be involved to at least monitor the behavior of protesters or not.
Now I know that there's been a.
I would say a press release which was released by LAPD, and it was basically to the effect of that LAPD is going to have a standback posture and they're not going to engage and also involve themselves specifically with the immigration efforts.
And that's not anything new.
We've known that from the beginning, as far as the posture of Los Angeles City, LAPD, LA County, which means LA County Sheriff and a state more generally, that local law enforcement at this point is not going to have any active role in these immigration raids, regardless of how you feel about it.
That is what has been said at this point. And as someone.
Who's African American, I can't speak directly to how people in the Latino community may feel about this moment. I can't speak to the fear, but I can acknowledge it. I can't speak to the frustration, but I can acknowledge it. I'm hearing from a number of people from within the Latino community who are reaching out to me. I said as much in the first segment. Who are fearful, who are unsure, who are angry, who are perplexed because they don't exactly know how to respond. And I get that
because the water is very murky right now. For me, I would be concerned about the idea of massed agents I identifying themselves and how people can take advantage of that who are not connected to law enforcement. These are part of the fears and concerns that people have, and everyone is not clear on the rights here. If you listen last night, or if you have a chance, please go to this most recent podcast or last night's show.
I produced a podcast of the final thoughts of the week, and the final thought, which was from last night, detailed specifically what was expected to happen today and the lack of clarity around rights of people as it relates to being detained, being arrested, whether a warrant is necessary, how you can be arrested, where you can be arrested, and if you get arrested and separated from your family, what
is it you're supposed to do? And all this is up in the air because it's new in the sense of all of us having to deal with this, and is at best unconventional and as the argument I made last night, at worst it could be even unconstitutional.
These are the things that we're looking at right now.
There are protests going on in very various portions of downtown LA. It has to our mind not become violent to the best of the news reporting at this point. If there's something new in that regard, I'm quite sure Mark Roner will have it at the news break. But this is not anything which has become violent at this point. There is no order to disperse, to the best of my knowledge which has been given. There has been no type of curfew which has been enacted as of yet.
It has maintained a degree of civility from what I can understand.
And Mark Ronner, you have some information actually.
There was an order to go otherwise I should clarify, and I had that at the top of the hour. But let me just reread this for clarity. Sure, they declare LAPD declared an unlawful assembly after the group of pro immigration protesters started vandalizing buildings down in town, about five hundred people told to be dispersed or subject to arrest.
Well, there you have it now, to the best of your knowledge anything you've seen, has anyone been injured? Has there been any type of violence against law enforcement?
No injuries that I've seen so far, But it does look as if it might be getting a little bit more violent, and I'll have more about that, more details at the bottom of the hour.
Okay, So we're getting.
The very best information we have, the latest information available, so we're going to keep it right here and to the best of our ability, give you as much information as we can about the immigration raids which happened earlier today. And to be clear that the immigration raids were earlier today, mostly in downtown Los Angeles, and there have been protesters who've been responding to those raids in the hours since. It may not be clear whether they've been growing, but
Mark Ronner, thank you for correcting me. There has been an order to disperse which has been given. So if you are a curious about what's going on downtown, please do not go downtown.
I would avoid that area absolutely.
If you are concerned about a loved one, or you're concerned about a friend or family member, whether they were caught up in the immigration rates, we do not have that information at this time as far as where to point you, so if we do get that information, we will pass it along to you.
This is later with mo Kelly.
We're minding the protests which are going on in downtown Los Angeles.
Right now. We will follow them as the sun goes down and we get a better sense of whether there are more people who are amassing at that situation, at that particular location, or whether this is starting to disperse as the order has been handed down, as Mark Ronner has told.
Us, you're listening to later with Moe Kelly on demand from KFI AM six forty.
As we continue to follow the events, not only of what transpired earlier today, but more recently some of the pro tests which have come out of it. You may know that there were immigration raids at various points and places downtown Los Angeles which were effectuated by ICE, not LAPD, not LA Sheriff's Department. And I made mention of a statement which was released by LAPD because there is a legitimate question as far as what is local law enforcement's
role in all this? Are they going to be providing assistance? Mark Ronner had said that there was an order given to disperse, and I'm quite sure that probably would cross what LAPD is actually doing. The LAPD, I presume, would be involved with enforcing that less so than ICE. But here is the statement by Chief of Police LAPD. Chief of Police Jim McDonald quote. Today, the LAPD became aware that federal law enforcement agencies conducted activities in the city
of Los Angeles. I'm aware that these actions cause anxiety for many Angelinos, so I want to make it clear the LAPD is not involved in civil immigration enforcement. While the LAPD will continue to have a visible presence in all our communities to ensure public safety, we will not assist or participate in any sort of mass deportation, nor will the LAPD try to determine an individual's immigration status.
Since nineteen seventy nine, our as an LAPD, our policy has barred officers from initiating police actions solely to determine a person's immigration status. The department remains focused on critical issues like crime reduction, enhancing public safety, and improving the
quality of life for all Angelinos. I want everyone, including our immigrant community, to feel safe calling the police in their time of need and know that the LAPD will be there for you without regard to one's immigration status. Close quote. I don't offer any opinion on that statement.
I'm just letting you know that was the statement which was released by LAPD, and I'm not going to let you know the person's name, but Twalla and I were having a conversation about someone who this directly impacts, and the concerns that they have about their daughter, a member of their family, and how it's hard to sometimes explain to a child what is going on and the danger that he or she may be in because you know, if you're separated from your child, let's say, because these
raids are going on in various places, and they're scooping up people regardless of whether they're with their parents, regardless of whether they're with their guardian and so forth, and so these are other These are other things that people have to be wary of and aware of if you are a member that have to say, unfortunately, a member of the Latino community, because that's the community which is being focused on. That's the community which ICE is targeting.
They're not looking for people of European descent, Let's be honest. They're not looking for people of European descent who may be quote unquote illegal aliens here in this country. And if you don't think that there are, well you're just deluding yourself. But these ICE immigration raids are specifically looking for people of Latino descent. And when I say looking for This is something I can understand intellectually as an African American man. When you quote unquote fit the description.
When you fit the description, a lot of times you will find yourself in a situation that you did not ask for, You did not necessarily do anything to deserve. But you have to deal with it. And if you happen to be someone who fits the description of someone who's Latino, there is a distinct possibility that you will be engaged by ICE because they're not Their mandate is detention, arrest, and deportation. And unfortunately, that brunt is going to come
down on the shoulders of the Latino community. And the Latino community is not a monolith, and it is definitely not majority undocumented in legal immigrants. People want to believe that, but that's not factually the case. That's also a portion of this discussion. There are people who are going to be detained who are American citizens.
That's an unfortunate reality.
And I talked about that to some degree last night in anticipation of these particular raids which have taken place today, and I said last segment that it's unclear and it's not like this is going to be announced to US. It's unclear whether what happened today in downtown LA was a one off or whether there will be other similar raids in various portions of Los Angeles slash Los Angeles County, or where there will be other raids up and down
the state. Of course, there are limited resources to affect these type of raids on a mass scale across California, but these clearly will not be the last of their kind, and there are people who are dealing with the emotions of this because families are being separated because of circumstances. Let's say you happen to be in this location at this time and you were separate from your family. They're
taking you as you are right there. You're not going to have the opportunity to get family to help call, help you out.
You're not going to get your one phone call. You're not going to get any.
Of that, And so unfortunately, there's a lot of confusion right now. There's uncertainty and lack of clarity as far as friends, family members, co workers, people that you may just know as neighbors. That's going to continue for some time because we don't even have the information as far as the number of people who have been detained. We don't know who has been detained and released. That information has not been given to the general public. In fact,
I'll check in with Mark Ronner. But Mark, to the best of your knowledge, there's been no information given as far as a presser or any type of media advisory to inform the general.
Public, not that I've seen so far.
And if they go to a life press conference, which I'm doubting right now, but anything could happen, we'll switch to it live.
Right And that's a great point which we're doubting because usually customarily the law enforcement agency will give media some sort of of you know, a tip off or some sort of advisory, letting us know that there's going to be a press gathering, let's say at nine thirty at nine or something, and then we would know in advance and we could tell you that certain information will be available to you. We have not been given that, So there's and at this time of the EVA, it's very
unlikely that we would have it. Maybe we'll have something in the morning, Maybe we could have director advice, possibly do a press briefing in the morning, and we'll get more information, but it's probably not going to happen tonight. I say all that to say, we have to be patient as best we can be as far as the parameters of this particular immigration enforcement effort and how far it's going to extend.
Andre And let's be.
Honest, this was a surprise raid, so they're not going to give out much information to you and me and anyone else. And I have every expectation and belief that it's ongoing, and we'll see more like these over the course of the weekend. Where they're going to be, when they're going to be, how extensive, there's no way to know, but we will continue to follow this and try to pass on as much tangible and verified information as possible.
Now we're looking at a lot of b rolled as far as what has happened downtown Earlier in the day, Mark Ronner he informed us that there was an order to disperse, which was given, But we don't have any recent information that there has been an uptick as far as number of people who've a massed downtown. Local news they have left the story, which I would look at as positive. If they don't have a reporter on scene,
that would suggest to me that it's not escalating. And no one wants any type of escalation, So I just want to give you that information as we continue to follow the events of the immigration raids which happened in the early portion of the day, and the protests which almost happened almost simultaneously, simultaneous to them and also subsequent to them, and as we get more information, we'll be sure to pass it along to you.
You're listening to Later with Moe Kelly on demand from KFI AM six forty.
Later with Mo Kelly.
We're logged everywhere in the I Heart Radio app and we're following the events going on in downtown presently and also what happened what transpired earlier today with the immigration raids and the subsequent protests. Hopefully Michael Monks, who's join us now, can give us just a little bit more information as far as what happened earlier and what is transpiring now, which is kind of close to the KFI Downtown studios if I'm not mistaken.
Hop skip and maybe a little bit of a jump.
Mo.
Good to hear from you.
Good to talk to you. Are you outside right now?
Yes, I'm right now. I'm on the corner of Alameda and Temple Street, so a few blocks from City Hall, a few blocks from Union Station. This is around the area where the LAPD has declared an unlawful assembly and told everybody to go home. Naturally, not everyone has gone home yet, i'd say right now, but one hundred people right here at this corner. A lot of police officers
have the intersection blocked off. They've got there what they might call their less lethal arms out, and not as much tension as we saw earlier in the We did certainly see plenty of less legal ammunition aimed at some of these protesters, and we saw some of these protesters take aim at the police officers as well, with basically anything they could get their hands on, rocks, debris, chairs, we saw a lot of different things. It was quite crazy, obviously.
This all in response to the raids on suspected I legal immigrants across downtown Los Angeles area earlier today a few dozen people taken into custody reportedly, so this is where we are right now. It does appear a little calmer. There's not a lot of action, mostly just people standing here taking pictures, occasional shouting, but nothing as dramatic as we saw within the past couple of hours.
You make a distinction that I think is important to highlight. So what we're experiencing now we may hear the sirens in the background, we may hear the police radios, but whatever is transpiring right now is decidedly less than let's say, three four hours ago.
Is that correct? It is right here at this intersection. Now. There still are multiple helicopters in the sky, some of them may be from our TV partners, but also from a law enforcement so they are monitoring, shining some spotlights down. But right here it's mostly just the lagging crew that has not dispersed as ordered by the LAPD. Not a lot of activity, just some light shouting. The police officers are just standing here at attention, preventing anybody from going
into the intersection. Light swearing, you know, that sort of thing at this point, but it has calmed down considerably.
Okay, you say light swearing. So what about the posture of police.
Do they seem like they're anticipating some sort of aggressive response from protesters or is it more relaxed by police.
It's hard to say whether they are anticipating it, but they are certainly prepared for it. Like I said, they've got those less lethal ammunition ready to go. They've got their riot mask on in case it comes to that, and they are monitoring the situation as we speak. But as of right now, not much in the way of physical altercations, nothing really in the way of violence.
Do we know if there's still any ICE presence? In other words, we know that they can pick up people who are quote unquote collaterals. In other words, if they're at a place in which they're doing a raid, they may be questioned, is ICE still engaging.
With anyone in the near vicinity.
Right here? This is all local law enforcement. Now. We know that a lot of the anger, the altercations involved federal agents. Earlier today, the LAPD was called in to deal with that. It's hard to fully understand, especially in a sanctuary city like Los Angeles, what role LAPD is
supposed to play in some of this. I know that when you watch the protests that took place this afternoon in the Fashion district, there were questions raised, where are the police to help these federal agents that are being attacked by citizen protesters here At this point, the LAPD is the one that has declared an unlawful assembly. There were no raids here in this intersection. These are folks who gathered around a federal building and thought that they
could find some targets there. They did, and we've heard or seen what happened after that. But while this is related to those raids inspired by those arrests earlier today, this is not where that took place. So this is now a city police issue, and they may push people
back at some point their patients will wear thin. If my experience covering the pro Palestine anti Israel protests on the campus at UCLA and USC or any indication at some point these folks will say, listen, we told you it's time to march.
I'm glad that you mentioned UCLA and the pro Palestine marches. Is there anything that is comparable as far as police response?
Are you I've seen a similar number of cruisers.
Are you seeing a similar number of officers who are in riot gear?
Compare and contrast that for me, please.
I will. There are some very clear comparisons. This is a smaller event. By the time the UCLA Pro Palestine encampment reached its full size, it was quite large, with a lot of students in a centralized area on the campus, and there were tons of police, but like we're seeing today, even though it's a smaller group on both sides, it's sort of the same vibe. Groups of people that are kind of antagonizing quietly and police quietly at the ready until you know, it all hits the fan and then
it starts moving. That's certainly what happened at UCLA last year. That's when we started to hear the flash bangs and the invasion of the encampment by the police, and they got people moved like they had demanded they do. They took it in their own hands and physically moved people. That could be what's brewing here to You also see a similarity among the protesters. In fact, you do hear some occasional chance of free Palestine, and that's not directly
related to what happened here in Los Angeles. You see some people who are dressed in the type of garb that you would see at a pro Palestine rally. So a lot of different movements kind of blended into this protest, and so those would be the similarities.
I would say, But I didn't hear you say in comparison to those protests that more people were shown up. I remember talking to you during those USLA protests, and the longer it seemed that we were on the air, the more people who were showing up to the actual protests, and I think made it more of a confrontation than what it was earlier in the day. We're not seeing that here, or are we seeing that here.
You're seeing a few people that you might call the audience. And it was certainly a larger scale last year on the college campus, as people who were coming to just watch what was happening and people who were curious and maybe wanted to see how it played out. Again, you've got a little bit of that here, but mostly it seems that the folks who are still standing around were at some point more directly involved in what happened earlier or certainly sympathetic to it.
Michael Monks, I know this is what you do, and you do well. Thank you for getting on scenes so quickly and being able to give us an eye, a firsthand account, and a bird's eye view of what's going on downtown. I'm quite sure we will be checking in with you a little bit later on tonight. Thanks so much, sir. I'm going to hang around. We'll see what happens.
You're listening to Later with Moe Kelly on demand from KFI AM six forty.
I AM six forty is Later with Mo Kelly.
We're live everywhere in the iHeartRadio app and we're going to go back to Michael Monks, who's still on scene downtown and get the latest as far as what's happening with the protests in light and subsequent to the immigration raids earlier today, and whether they are actually expanding or whether they're contracting. Michael Monks. Tell us what you see. Do we lose them? Awesome for a minute. Okay, we're trying to get it back. Okay, we'll try to get
Michael back in just a moment. But Michael Monks, kf ICE owned Michael Monks is still on scene downtown. There has been in order to disperse, which has been given to the protesters and the lookie lose. I don't assume everyone there on scene is actually there to protest. The response. I should say the law enforcement response is LAPD. There is from what I understand, no one from ICE. There's
no federal agent in agency involvement at this point. So we are waiting to get Michael Monks back so we can get a better sense of what may have happened in the past five or six minutes or so. And this is how live news works. You're trying to figure out what you can as best you can. There was some information that did come my way about fifteen twenty minutes ago that about forty four people were arrested. That's the word that was used, arrested earlier today by ICE
officers quote. ICE officers and agents, alongside partner law enforcement agencies, executed four federal search warrants at three locations in central Los Angeles. Approximately forty four people were administratively arrested. And I don't know about that distinction as far as administratively as opposed to any other arrest, but forty four people were administratively arrested and one arrest for obstruction. The investigation
remains ongoing. Updates will follow as appropriate now. The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, which is a nonprofit, also estimated that at least forty five people have been taken into custody. And again there's a distinction to be made as far as arrested taken into custody and whether someone is just going to be released or they're actually going to be charged for either behavior or some sort of immigrant related deportation issue. Those specifics we do not have as of
right now. We may get that tomorrow. There probably will not be any type of update from ICE or any federal agency.
We do know that this is.
Happening or has been happening, at multiple locations downtown. Now, Mark, do you know I'm sorry to ask you real quick, I think this is Michael Monk's calling it. Mark, do you know whether the protest is contained to one particular area or is it over multiple intersections?
From what you see and read, I don't.
The last that I saw come across the wire is that Alameda Street was closed between Temple and Commercial Streets, and that sounds like it was right where Monks was when he called in, So he should be right at the center of the action as far as I know.
Okay, I think we're trying to get him right now and find out what is happening. Sometimes it's a little bit difficult for people to be able to connect directly when they are downtown. And again, some forty five people have been arrested. There's a distinction being made between administratively arrested and I will say the more common definition of arrested. We'll see if we can get more information about it.
We read to you earlier the statement by LAPD Chief Jim McDonald in the respect that LAPD may be on scene as far as monitoring the protests and the agency which gave the order to disperse, but not involved. Want to make this clear, not involved in the immigration raids.
Earlier today, and also Sheriff Robert Luna also released a statement stating that the La County Sheriff Department does not enforce civil immigration law and that their goal is quote enforcing state and local laws to ensure safety and well being of our diverse communities throughout Last Angeles County close quote.
So you will know going forward that neither LAPD nor LASD will be involved, at least in the immigration portion of the ice raids, not assisting, not involving themselves, but they will be involved in maintaining the piece and around the raids or any subsequent protests which may come out
of them. Can't tell if we've gotten Michael Monks back yet, but as soon as we do get him, we'll find out what is happening right now on the ground downtown and whether there's been a change in either the behavior of the protesters or the stance by LAPD.
This is a very fluid situation, as they say, and things are going to be happening very quickly.
But KFI is going to stay with you and stay on this and make sure that you have the latest information.
It looks like.
Cops are in riot gear on the streets, ready for a crackdown, but I cannot see that anything has sparked yet.
That's what I thought that they were there in riot year, because after an order to disperse has been given, that's customarily the response.
Things have definitely escalated. I see smoke grenades have been used, and so it could go either way at this point.
Question from what you see is LAPD advancing. Are they moving towards protesters, trying to get people to actively disperse, or they just set up a protective barrier barricade in the line that people cannot cross.
I can't see that, but we do know that they've issued a dispersal order and they can arrest anybody who won't comply.
At this point, we have Michael Monks back. Michael, are you there, I'm here. Tell us what you see tell us what has happened.
Okay, So what you're hearing from the speakers coming from the police is basically something that you would hear your parents say when you were misbehaving. I told you once I meant it, you're going you know, you're grounded. So that's what they're saying, basically, is we well, y'all to leave.
You haven't left, You're going to go to jail. Now they haven't acted on that yet, but that's you know, we talked moments ago about the similarities to the campus protests last year, and that's now the vibe that I'm getting right down to the fact that I left this out of the description previously. There is this skirmish line of sorts from the LAPD and there are protesters on the wrong side of it. So those might be the
ones that these words are mostly directed to. But by the time this movement starts, and they will start, they will push everybody out of here. It's it's going to be all of us. All of us are going to be moving in the direction the police decide.
And that feels from what Mark Ronald was telling us, that the police are there in riot year. From what you're telling us. They have not advanced forward. But as far as numbers, if you were to estimate how many officers are on that police line, how many are we talking about.
Here at this intersection? And again I am at the corner of Alameda and Temple downtown, about a few blocks from City Hall, a few blocks from Union Station. To get people an idea of where we are, maybe three dozen.
Oh that's not many comparatively speaking to like the protests, you see.
That's what I mean. This is a much smaller deal at this point. And it almost felt, you know, earlier, which was why I was frankly hesitant to even come here. It felt like it was over, that it was just going to kind of evaporate and be finished. People got their anger out, there was a scene, and then it was over. But now there is this steady loitering that remains.
I don't want you to quarter back any of this, but I would wonder, as a person who's watching this evolve, about the wisdom of having the immigration raids on a Friday, when invariably there would be an emotional response from the community, and then you have Friday night where people do not have to worry about going to work in the morning, and they're more inclined to come out and protest and stay out well into the night.
That is a great point, Mo, that I hadn't even thought about. Great insight. And what I also appreciated was as you started the show at seven o'clock, was talking about how you know there is a directive within ICE to get those numbers up, the number of arrest, and so to them it may not even be a consideration. It's every day. It's going to be all day, every day. Like you said earlier tonight, you knew this was coming.
We all knew this was coming. A sanctuary city policy has certain elements to it that are enforceable on the municipal side, but it is literally trumped by federal law. And so when you have a city that has the number of illegal immigrants that LA has, you just have
to know that this is only the beginning. Because if that organization, if that agency, that federal agency that has been empowered by a president that was elected by the people to do exactly this, wants to run up their numbers, this is one of those places where they can do it rapidly.
Have we heard from the best of your news gathering, Have we heard from Mayor Karen Bass. Have we heard from any city officials as far as their level of involvement in this particular situation. We know, as you said, sanctuary City, they're not going to assist federal agents. But have they made any public statement about what is happening right now?
We heard Councilwoman Unices Hernandez, who is I think it's fair to say, an opponent of LAPD as we know it, certainly, and she has raised concerns about what they knew and when they knew it, and what role they might have played.
Now.
We did hear from Chief Jim McDonald. He says, you know, this has been our policy since the late nineteen seventies not to be directly involved in civil immigration enforcement, and that apparently was true for them today as well. He says, but there have been concerns raised at least by one council member about what they knew, when they knew it, where they were, why they were there. We have also heard from Mayor Bas who says LA will not quote stand for this. We don't know what that means again
federal law, Trump's municipal law. We know that we've heard from other council members who have put out statements of
support for the immigrant community. And we've heard from County Supervisor Lindsay Horvath, who stands against this, and Supervisor Catherine Barger, who is a Republican member of the La County Board of Supervisors, who says, while I support the enforcement of our federal laws, she's basically saying, you know, we could maybe use a little more heads up so that we don't have these types of events take place afterwards.
Michael, it might be a little bit of a longer night for you than you originally anticipated.
No doubt, and there I was ready to have a little dinner.
Not happening, Michael. I'm quite sure we'll be checking on checking back in with you before the nine is too.
Thank you so much for what you do.
Happy to do it.
It's later with Mo Kelly k if I am six forty. We are live everywhere in the iHeartRadio app.
Ks I and kost H D two Los Angeles, Orange County.
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