Los Angeles City Council member Ysabel Jurado is waging a war against Home Depot, accusing the retail giant of cozying up to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids.
Her fiery rhetoric targets the company’s alleged silence as federal agents swoop into their parking lots, nabbing day laborers. It’s a bold stance, but is it a principled stand or a political stunt?
Fox News reported that Jurado, representing District 14, has opposed Home Depot’s plan to open a new store in Eagle Rock, replacing a shuttered Macy’s at Eagle Rock Plaza.
She claims the retailer’s presence invites “violence” by enabling ICE operations, a charge that’s as dramatic as it is divisive. Home Depot, for its part, insists it’s merely following federal rules, not orchestrating raids.
Recent events fuel the controversy, starting with an ICE raid on June 19, 2025, in Bell, California, where residents clashed with federal agents on Atlantic Boulevard.
Tensions escalated when President Trump deployed nearly 5,000 troops, including National Guard and Marines, to Los Angeles after anti-ICE riots erupted, with vehicles and flags torched. Jurado’s outrage seems to ride this wave of unrest, but her focus on Home Depot feels like a convenient lightning rod.
On August 6, 2025, ICE’s “Operation Trojan Horse” saw agents pour out of a Penske truck at the Westlake Home Depot, arresting over a dozen people.
The Los Angeles Times reported another raid on August 28, 2025, at the same location, netting at least 15 arrests, with agents in tactical gear using what appeared to be tear gas. Jurado calls this a “disturbing pattern,” but her claim of Home Depot’s complicity lacks hard evidence.
“These raids are part of a disturbing pattern across Los Angeles, with ICE repeatedly targeting Home Depot parking lots,” Jurado said.
Her accusation hinges on the idea that Home Depot’s silence equals endorsement, a leap that ignores the company’s limited control over federal actions. It’s a classic case of blaming the stage for the play.
Home Depot’s response is straightforward: “We aren’t notified that ICE activities are going to happen, and we’re not requesting them.” The company notes it only learns of arrests after the fact, a point that undercuts Jurado’s narrative of corporate collusion. Yet, her rhetoric persists, painting Home Depot as a villain in a drama of her own scripting.
Jurado, a former tenants’ rights attorney and daughter of undocumented Filipino immigrants, brings a personal lens to the fight.
She’s vowed to block the Eagle Rock store, claiming it threatens the Filipino community that frequents the plaza. Her passion is palpable, but targeting a retailer for federal policies feels like misdirected zeal.
“Take your orange aprons somewhere else,” Jurado posted on Instagram, a jab that’s catchy but thin on substance. Home Depot isn’t ICE, nor does it set immigration policy—facts that get lost in her crusade. The councilmember’s stance risks alienating businesses while sidestepping the real architects of enforcement.
The August 28 raid near Wilshire Boulevard saw Border Patrol arrest eight individuals, including six from Guatemala, one from El Salvador, and one from Mexico.
The Department of Homeland Security noted three had criminal records, including visa overstays and theft, with one facing deportation. Jurado’s silence on these details suggests a selective outrage that prioritizes narrative over nuance.
Just days before the August 6 raid, a federal appeals court upheld a restraining order against broad immigration sweeps in California. Jurado points to this as evidence of ICE overreach, accusing Home Depot of enabling “rights violations.” But conflating a retailer’s compliance with federal law with active complicity stretches credulity.
“When your name becomes associated with terror, and you refuse to speak, you become complicit,” Jurado declared. It’s a zinger, but it glosses over Home Depot’s lack of authority over ICE’s playbook. Her rhetoric might rally the base, but it risks vilifying a business caught in the crossfire of a larger policy fight.
Protests have also flared beyond Westlake, with anti-ICE demonstrators targeting a Pasadena Home Depot on August 6. The community’s frustration is real, but Jurado’s focus on Home Depot seems more about optics than solutions. It’s easier to scapegoat a corporation than tackle the complexities of immigration enforcement.
“I unequivocally oppose Home Depot coming to Eagle Rock Plaza,” Jurado said, citing the need for “safety, dignity, and businesses that fight for the people.”
Her call to arms resonates with those wary of federal overreach, but it ignores the economic benefits a new store could bring. Eagle Rock’s residents might prefer jobs over ideological battles.
The Department of Homeland Security defends its actions, stating, “Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, if you break the law, you will face the consequences.” This hardline stance fuels the divide, with Jurado casting Home Depot as a bystander who should pick a side. Yet, expecting a retailer to defy federal law is as unrealistic as it is unfair.
