LOS ANGELES — A year ago, on June 6, federal agents descended on Ambiance Apparel, detaining dozens of workers in one of the largest workplace immigration enforcement actions Southern California had seen in years.

By day’s end, more than 40 workers, many of them from Zapotec Indigenous communities, were arrested in an enforcement operation that became an early flashpoint in a summer of immigration protests across Los Angeles.

On Saturday morning, a news conference was held outside of Ambiance Apparel to commemorate the anniversary. Lazaro, who chose not to disclose his last name because of ongoing concerns over his safety, is a member of Lucha Zapoteca. He was among those detained and is now free.

“It was a nightmare,” Lazaro said. “Me, as well as our family members who are behind me, were separated from our family members.”

Lucha Zapoteca was formed in the days after the raid, as workers and their families fought for the release of more than a dozen people. The group raised more than $300,000, found legal representation and helped free 11 people held in the Adelanto ICE Processing Center.

A year later, many of the former workers are still living with the consequences. Some have been deported, others remain in immigration proceedings, and many families continue to grapple with the economic and emotional fallout.

“Our fight is not done yet,” Lazaro said. “Our liberation from detention doesn’t mean that we are free. We are still facing a lot of challenges and restrictions. We are still fighting to survive, and our families are continuing to deal with the trauma of the separation.”

In the case of one man detained, two of his sons are still in therapy to deal with the trauma stemming from that day.

The father of four, who asked not to be identified out of fear of the effect it could have on his pending immigration case, said he’s come to rely on his two oldest children to provide for the family. He is unable to work because of his pending case. His family had to borrow money from loved ones as recently as this year to help pay the rent and bills.

“Right now, my hands are tied. I can’t really do anything for my family,” he said. “I basically depend on them. They’re the head of the family now. It doesn’t seem fair to put so many responsibilities on them at such a young age.”

And this father’s children are not the only ones facing the hardships of the aftermath of the raids.

Yurien, the daughter of Mario, an Ambiance worker who was also detained, spoke at the press conference and chose not to use her last name. She detailed what it was like to witness her father shackled at the ankles.

Yurien said her younger brother, who has a disability, spent months asking for their father, unable to understand why he was no longer at home.

“Watching my father be detained while we stood powerless was one of the most traumatic experiences of our lives,” Yurien said. “The emotional and mental impact of the day stayed with our family long after the rate ended.
And even after his liberation.”

Among those who gathered for the news conference to advocate for a new state emergency relief fund to support those impacted by the federal agents’ actions was the California Network for Immigrant Worker Justice, or CNIWJ.

“We’ve been asking for $500 million from the state budget to create an emergency fund for our immigrant workers affected by the raids,” said Veronica Alvarado with CNIWJ. “These lawmakers have an opportunity to support workers by providing financial aid when they see themselves impacted by the raids.”

Alvarado criticized Gov. Gavin Newsom for investing so much money into the California rainy day fund, explaining that the immigration situation is an emergency that needs attention.

“Families like Yurien and everyone impacted by Lucha Zaopteca should not have to count solely on their families to figure out how they’re going to eat,” Alvarado said. “This community contributes to our economy and supports our economy.”

According to the Department of Homeland Security, Ambiance Apparel landed on ICE’s radar after the agency initiated a workplace audit last February. A Homeland Security spokesperson said the agency found that 46% of the workforce of Ambiance and its related companies were working illegally in the U.S.

Benjamin Gluck, a lawyer representing Ambiance, told the Los Angeles Times that Ambiance “complies with federal and state laws when it hires employees, including laws about how it may screen candidates and documents. Ambiance has always only hired people it believes have the legal right to work in the United States.”

Months after ICE initiated the audit, they descended on Ambiance, arresting more than 40 people, according to some estimates. Homeland Security did not respond to questions about how many workers were arrested that day.

“We lived in a city that claimed to be a sanctuary, yet, on and since June 6, it has continued to fail its immigrant and indigenous communities, communities whose labor and contributions help the city drive,” Yurien said. “What happened that day was an injustice. A federal injustice.”

As word of the raid spread, a crowd of protesters outside the warehouse began to grow. Among them was David Huerta, president of the Service Employees International Union in California, who was arrested and accused of obstructing federal authorities during the operation. Huerta is still awaiting trial in the case.

The 46-year-old father who spoke at Saturday’s event, said he has lived in the U.S. for nearly 30 years. He described being held in Adelanto for three months before finally being released on bond in August, with the help of the group.

“I wouldn’t wish what happened to me on my worst enemy,” he said. “I came out traumatized.”

He had worked at Ambiance for nearly five years, first stacking boxes of clothes and then later moving into shipping. Like many of the workers arrested, he was the primary breadwinner for his family. But when he was finally released from detention, he was unable to work as his immigration case proceeded.

“It’s like I’m still confined, I can’t do anything,” he said. “My hands and feet are tied. I can’t work, I don’t leave home out of fear of encountering (ICE) again. My kids are supporting me.”

The man’s 23-year-old daughter explained that she didn’t have a choice. It was simply something she had to do.

“I kind of just had to step into his role,” his daughter said. “It’s a lot of responsibility, but we don’t like to see it that way, because we’re doing it because we want to be able to help.”

His two youngest children, now both in high school, started therapy last year to cope with the uncertainty.

“They’re the ones who suffered most,” their father said. “My biggest concern right now — aside from my case, you could say — is my children. It’s a trauma that remains. It’s difficult to overcome that experience.”

As he awaits an upcoming immigration hearing this summer, he said he feels like he’s “in limbo.”

“I don’t know if they’re going to let me stay or deport me,” he said. “I don’t want to separate from my family. I’m doing everything I can to stay with them.”

While some of the immigrant workers detained that day are now free, Lucha Zapoteca and its members say they are going to continue to advocate for those who remain in custody.

“Our resilience didn’t start with this raid, and it’s not gonna end here,” Lazaro said. “We want to keep fighting against the detentions and deportations and making sure that everyone is free.”

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