Raman Joins Protest Against ICE Presence At Boyle Heights Hospital

LOS ANGELES, CA — Los Angeles Mayor-elect Nithya Raman joined protesters gathered at a Boyle Heights hospital Saturday after federal immigration agents were at the medical facility the previous night.

A march was held Saturday afternoon from Mariachi Plaza to Adventist Health White Memorial at 1720 E. Cesar E. Chavez Ave. It included Raman, state Sen. María Elena Durazo, D-Los Angeles, the Boyle Heights Immigrant Rights Network and various other elected leaders and community advocates, among others.

"I'm appalled by what took place last night at White Memorial hospital in Boyle Heights, where ICE agents were obstructing emergency room entry and detained two US citizens," Raman posted on X. "I condemn these reckless actions by the Trump administration.

"This afternoon, I stood alongside Supervisor-Elect Durazo, Assemblymember Gonzalez, Councilmember Jurado, Proyecto Pastoral Executive Director Roman and advocates to demand accountability and transparency around these actions," Raman added.

Durazo also spoke out against both the actions of the federal agents and the hospital's response.

"What happened last night was unacceptable," Durazo said during the protest. "It's unacceptable that ICE would go into our health care facilities. But we also believe that White Memorial can and should do more."

Hospital officials told reporters that federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents transported someone in their custody to the facility's emergency department Friday to receive care for undisclosed reasons.

Video posted on Instagram by mujer.de.epazote showed ICE agents holding someone down on a street near the hospital while another masked ICE agent shouted at the person behind the camera to back up, although they could keep filming.

The Los Angeles Police Department was called to the hospital after a protest broke out Friday night, but they said they did not assist with any immigration enforcement operations.

Mayor Karen Bass issued the following statement Saturday afternoon:

"Overnight, federal immigration agents gathered in force outside of the ambulance bay at Adventist Health White Memorial Medical Center in Boyle Heights, effectively sealing off a critical entrance. For patients and families in medical crises, that presence was frightening at the worst possible moment. A hospital should be the one place where people feel safe. No one should have to think twice about receiving care or fear that a loved one's treatment could be interrupted because of their immigration status.

"I condemn ICE's action and call on the Trump administration to stop all immigration enforcement in and around health care facilities. Hospital leadership also had a duty to step in right away to protect patients and neighbors, and by all appearances, that did not happen."

ICE officials issued a statement Saturday, saying "ICE does not target hospitals, schools or churches. This is just another false narrative to try to demonize our brave ICE law enforcement, who are facing more than a 1,600% increase in assaults, a 3,300% increase in vehicle attacks and an 8,000% increase in death threats. Under President Trump and Secretary Mullin, illegal aliens are not welcome in the U.S." Secretary Mullin is Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin.

— City News Service