Home Depot at the Center of Immigration Raids Ordered by Trump

• ICE: Raids at Home Depot
• Day laborers pursued and arrested
• Growing labor and political impact

President Donald Trump’s immigration raids have turned Home Depot parking lots into the new epicenter of day laborer arrests.

In recent weeks, officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have carried out arrests in front of stores belonging to the retail giant.

One of the most talked-about raids occurred in the Westlake neighborhood of Los Angeles, where day laborers have offered their services for decades.

ICE agents were captured on video chasing and arresting several workers in the parking lot of the Home Depot in the area.

ICE Steps Up Operations Against Day Laborers

This location is key for the Central American community, which has long relied on these informal job opportunities.

Similar scenes occurred in April in Pomona, California, where more than 15 immigrants were arrested.

Raids have also recently been reported in front of stores in New York, New Jersey, and Texas.

The origin of this strategy comes from presidential adviser Stephen Miller, who instructed ICE to focus on Home Depot and 7-Eleven parking lots.

The order was issued at the end of May, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Founded in 1978, Home Depot has more than 2,300 stores in the United States and promotes the “do-it-yourself” model.

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This model has been leveraged by immigrants, mostly undocumented, who offer services such as construction, landscaping, and moving.

“Day laborers have become another service people can find at Home Depot,” said Pablo Alvarado, co-director of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON).

“It’s part of a business model that benefits everyone: the laborers, the contractors, and even the company itself,” he added.

However, this dynamic has drawn criticism from anti-immigration groups who accuse the company of facilitating undocumented labor.

Organizations like NDLON have called on Home Depot to improve conditions for day laborers and allow them to use the restrooms.

In response to the raids, the company told the Los Angeles Times that ICE had not informed them about the operations.

Despite this, Home Depot’s stock fell by 2.4% on the Friday following the arrests.

This is not the first time the company has been politically linked to Trump.

In 2019, it faced a boycott after it was revealed that its co-founder Bernie Marcus donated at least $14 million to Trump’s 2016 campaign and the 2018 midterm elections.

Raids also affect local contractors.

Contractors Complain About Labor Shortages

Martín Valencia, a builder in Whittier, California, voiced his concerns about the labor shortage.

“We’re running out of workers—no one else does the work these day laborers do,” he told EFE.

“I once hired a white American, and he couldn’t handle the job. Here, we need strong and committed people,” he added.

Pablo Alvarado warned that the arrests jeopardize the reconstruction of neighborhoods destroyed by fires in Los Angeles.

Day laborers were the first to respond, clearing debris and opening paths for firefighters and emergency personnel.

“Day laborers are part of the social fabric of the United States, and neither Trump nor Miller can erase their contributions to the country,” Alvarado declared.

“We will fight for them. Only the people save the people,” he concluded.

Amid an increasingly visible and controversial immigration crackdown, the situation of day laborers at Home Depot exposes the contradictions between federal policy, local economic needs, and the human rights of undocumented workers.

Do you believe companies like Home Depot should intervene to protect day laborers operating in their spaces, or remain on the sidelines since these are public areas?

SOURCE: EFE