At a Glance
- Immigration agents swarmed the Fashion District Thursday, pointing guns at workers and sparking panic
- Many Hispanic-owned shops shuttered Friday as customers stay away
- Business owner Jocelyn Bravo says agents asked her brother for “papers” at gunpoint
- Why it matters: Merchants fear the district’s fragile recovery from last year’s raids is now in jeopardy
A new immigration enforcement action in downtown Los Angeles has left the Fashion District reeling, with stores closed and shoppers staying away after federal agents stormed through Thursday morning.
The operation unfolded around 11 a.m. near 11th Street and Maple Avenue. A witness told News Of Losangeles that roughly 10 agents moved in during what he called a “chaotic” scene.
Jocelyn Bravo, who has run her jewelry store in the district since she was 12, said armed officers pointed a gun at her brother.
“They were asking if he had his papers. And my brother said, ‘Yes, you can come and check me,'” Bravo recounted.
Business owners describe ‘war zone’
Bravo likened the episode to combat.
“It seemed like we were in an active war zone for no reason,” she said, adding that even her sister, who serves in the military, was stunned. “She’s like, ‘Dude, they don’t do that when we’re on the round. It’s insane.'”
By Friday, the fallout was clear: several shops never opened. Bravo said Hispanic customers-who make up the bulk of the district’s clientele-are again too frightened to shop.
“Everyone is afraid to come. Our main audience, the people who buy from us, is all Hispanic. They are afraid to come,” she explained.
Despite her own fear, Bravo kept her doors open. She worries the latest sweep will erase recent gains after a string of similar actions last year.
Political reaction
Mayor Karen Bass condemned the operation, repeating her criticism of the Trump administration’s tactics.
“I highly doubt they were after any hardened criminals in the Fashion District,” Bass said Friday.
Unclear results
It remains unknown whether anyone was detained. The Department of Homeland Security told News Of Losangeles only that it “continues to operate throughout” Los Angeles and urged undocumented immigrants to self-deport using the CBP app.
Echoes of June 2025
The Fashion District has been here before. Federal agents conducted large-scale workplace arrests in June 2025, taking dozens into custody. Merchants said business had just begun rebounding when Thursday’s raid triggered new panic.
Bravo, like many owners, now faces an uncertain path forward.
“I’ve never experienced anything like that at all,” she said.
Key Takeaways
- Thursday’s midday raid saw agents draw weapons on workers
- Hispanic shoppers are again avoiding the area
- Mayor Bass calls the enforcement strategy harmful to the city
- DHS has not disclosed detention numbers
