Bold truth: everyday Angelenos are stepping up to shield their communities as federal immigration raids intensify, and the volunteer movement is growing in surprising ways. But here's where it gets controversial: this surge crosses lines of race, age, and background, challenging assumptions about who participates and why.
Unarmed crisis response
This story was first published by The LA Local on Feb. 25, 2026.
As federal immigration enforcement raids persist in Los Angeles, a wider spectrum of residents is volunteering to watch, document, and alert others about raids in their neighborhoods. Ron Gochez, an organizer with União del Barrio’s rapid-response network, describes the trend: diverse people are showing up with a shared sense of responsibility.
“We’re seeing senior retirees say, ‘I’m an old white woman — how can I help?’ We have students from community colleges and universities. We have longtime activists and people who’ve never done this before,” he explains. “It’s true solidarity from Angelenos of every shape, size, color, and age.”
Although veteran Latino organizers still lead many patrols, the pool of volunteers is expanding to include many who are not Latino.
Unión del Barrio has outgrown its usual meeting space at the United Teachers union building in Koreatown, which once drew only a few dozen people.
Beyond patrolling, the group assists families affected by raids and issues real-time alerts across social media.
In late January, a day after federal agents killed Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, roughly 400 people attended a training session, according to Unión del Barrio organizer Ron Gochez.
“The very next day, we had 1,000 people on a Zoom training for educators — we couldn’t accommodate more because the limit was 1,000,” Gochez notes.
Pasadena residents and volunteers mirrored this momentum: officials expected a handful of attendees at All Saints Episcopal Church, but nearly 800 showed up for the training, as reported by Pasadena Now. For the first time, most attendees at a recent session were white, Gochez said.
“I think the administration and ICE assumed killing Alex Pretti would frighten people into staying away,” he adds. Instead, the effect has been the opposite.
Other immigrant advocacy groups report similar surges in support. Representatives from CHIRLA (Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights) and the Immigrant Defenders Law Center note increases in volunteers, donations, and participation in Know Your Rights workshops. The legal groups intend to continue deportation defense, managed information hotlines, and anticipate sustained engagement as enforcement intensifies.
Ron Gochez speaks to volunteers in South Los Angeles in February 2025.
Neighborhoods near Koreatown and Pico Union have seen a sharp rise in raids in recent months. Oscar, an Unión del Barrio volunteer who asked to be identified only by first name for safety reasons, has witnessed raids up close.
“This stretch of Los Angeles—Pico Union, K-town, MacArthur Park, Westlake—has been hit extremely hard over the past year,” Oscar says, pointing to raids along the El Salvador Community Corridor in Pico Union. “They’ve popped up along Pico multiple times.”
Westlake, a dense immigrant neighborhood largely comprising renters and noncitizen workers, has also been identified in county studies as one of the most vulnerable areas for ICE raids.
Oscar leads patrol training sessions; before joining Unión del Barrio, he patrolled the neighborhood with a friend to document enforcement activity. “It didn’t feel like enough,” he recalls. “I wanted to be part of a group of dedicated organizers.”
Overall, he notes more collaboration across racial and gender lines, united by the aim of safeguarding communities, delivering groceries to impacted families, monitoring neighborhoods, and finding purposeful activity amid ongoing raids.
Immigration agents detain a man selling flowers in Boyle Heights on Jan. 28, 2026.
People arrive with anger and resolve, but trainers often report a sense of empowerment after sessions.
Unión del Barrio has expanded beyond its traditional South Los Angeles base, now patrolling in Boyle Heights, Long Beach, the San Fernando Valley, Beverly Hills, and Brentwood, according to Gochez.
“We have eyes and ears everywhere,” he asserts. “I’m confident there are thousands patrolling across the greater L.A. area.”
Donations have increased, helping cover patrol costs and the distribution of Know Your Rights flyers and other materials, though fundraising remains relatively modest compared to the scale of activity.
Despite heightened attention, Unión del Barrio has kept its training curriculum intact, emphasizing legal compliance while acknowledging that safety isn’t guaranteed during field work.
Organizers discourage undocumented individuals or those on probation or parole from taking part in on-the-ground patrols, suggesting they contribute in other capacities instead.
“We’re not aiming to become martyrs,” Gochez emphasizes. “We don’t want to be arrested, harmed, or killed. But there is real risk involved.”
If you’d like a version tailored to a specific audience (e.g., policymakers, community organizers, or general readers) or added with extra examples or quotes, tell me your target readers and tone preferences.
