Work of Vandals Was Quickly Removed, But Who Put Them Up and Why?
Signs bearing the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) logo and a phone number were posted along Santa Monica Boulevard on Saturday night, prompting swift backlash from the community and city officials, as reported by KTLA 5 News.
Danny Rivas, West Hollywood’s director of community safety, confirmed the presence of the signs and ordered their removal after residents complained.
“Harassment, fear-mongering—that’s just not going to stand in our city,” Mayor Chelsea Byers told KTLA. “We are one of the first sanctuary cities in Southern California, and we support our immigrant community.”
Mayor Byers believes that the signs were fake and distributed by unknown people. Regardless of their origin, the signs violated city code and were deemed illegal. City Councilmember Danny Hang said the postings appeared intended to intimidate residents.
The incident comes amid heightened immigration enforcement policies enacted under former President Donald Trump, including executive orders that expanded ICE’s authority and allowed agents to conduct arrests in sensitive locations such as schools and churches. ICE raids have taken place in multiple cities, in Democratic or “Blue” areas, since Trump took office.
Protests against immigration policies have been held throughout Los Angeles during the last week. One such protest closed down the 101 Freeway and led to six days of protesters marching on City Hall. Students joined the protests, walking out of their classes during the school day to march on municipal city halls and local streets.
Concern is high among students, and LAUSD has distributed red “know your rights” cards to help students who might be confronted by ICE agents. There have also been rumors of fake ICE agents attempting to take advantage of and frighten students during the protests.
