Several Detained in Anaheim Immigration Raids at Car Wash and Home Depot

(Following weekend actions, federal immigration agents detained workers at two Anaheim sites: one man at the Euclid Car Wash near La Palma Avenue and about five day laborers at the Home Depot on Brookhurst Street.)

The operations unfolded on August 16–17, 2025, and mark the latest wave in a broader Southern California crackdown that has zeroed in on car washes and Home Depot parking lots where day laborers gather.

Agents wore uniforms resembling Border Patrol, according to witnesses, and arrived in numbers large enough to scatter workers before targeting selected individuals. Anaheim officials have warned residents that these sites are “very high-risk” for immigration enforcement. At the Brookhurst Home Depot alone, community trackers count roughly six enforcement incidents since June 2025. The Euclid Car Wash raid was the third at that location since July 3, 2025.

Local advocacy groups say the Anaheim events mirror a bigger pattern across the region. Since June, immigration raids have increased sharply in Southern California, with teams from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) involved. The stepped-up activity followed a temporary restraining order that affected how local agencies coordinate on immigration, a shift that advocates say federal teams have treated as an opening to act more aggressively in public spaces.

Scale and targets of enforcement

CLEAN Car Wash Worker Center, which tracks enforcement at car wash businesses, reports at least 56 car wash sites have been raided in Southern California since June, with about 112 workers arrested.

Car wash locations appeal to agents because they are open workplaces with visible crews and clear entry points, allowing fast operations with minimal setup. The group says many of the people detained are longtime workers with families who rely on steady wages from hourly or day work.

Home Depot parking lots have also become tense spots. Since early August, multiple stores across Los Angeles County have seen repeated operations, often involving agents in unmarked vehicles or rental trucks who arrive quickly and move on before community observers can assemble.

• Arrests have included undocumented workers from Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico.
• Day laborers say they now avoid common pickup areas, which has cut off the flow of short-term jobs that pay for rent, food, and school needs.

Families describe harsh fallout from earlier Anaheim actions. In one July 3 raid at a local car wash, a worker named Gilberto Gomez-Garcia suffered an eye injury during arrest and required hospital care, relatives said. His case has become a rallying point for caregivers and local groups pressing for less forceful tactics and better medical access for people taken into custody.

Raids intensify at Anaheim worksites

The Euclid Car Wash operation on August 16 ended with a single male detainee, but workers say the visibility of agents and the pace of return visits have created a chilling effect.

• Supervisors report crews arrive late or skip shifts out of fear.
• The Euclid Car Wash raid was the third since July 3, 2025.

At the Brookhurst Home Depot on August 17, at least five laborers were detained by five or more agents in uniforms described as similar to Border Patrol. Workers said they had seen agents at that store repeatedly since June and now try to meet employers on nearby streets rather than in the main lot.

Anaheim officials have publicly acknowledged the surge and urged residents to treat certain car washes and big-box parking lots as high-risk areas. While federal agencies have not given detailed public statements on individual raids, their presence has been constant.

Community groups say many arrests happen without warrants shown on scene, a point that has fed legal pushback and fueled anxiety among workers with mixed-status families.

“Many arrests happen without warrants shown on scene,” advocates say — a fact feeding legal challenges and deepening fear among workers and families.

Legal challenges and community impact

The city of Anaheim has joined a federal lawsuit challenging enforcement tactics first used under President Trump and still visible in current operations. The lawsuit contends the raids violate constitutional protections, particularly when agents use aggressive tactics or detain people without presenting warrants.

Legal advocates are:

• Building records of repeated site visits
• Filming where possible
• Documenting injuries and family disruption to support claims in court

Employers at targeted car washes say they follow employment verification rules and have not been the focus of the actions, even as agents detain their workers. Owners report that agents seldom provide prior notice and rarely show warrants before removing employees from work areas.

Home Depot, as a corporation, has stayed largely silent about repeated operations in store parking lots, despite the direct impact on day laborers who gather there to find jobs.

People detained in these Anaheim actions are often transferred to facilities such as the Adelanto ICE Detention Center. Families say communication is hard, especially in the first days after arrest: phones may be limited, and relatives must track movement across facilities while juggling work and child care.

Community organizations stress that many workers are law-abiding and some have authorization to work, but they get swept up in broad operations that rely on fast field interviews and on-the-spot judgments.

Practical guidance for impacted families

Groups advising impacted families share these practical steps:

1. Do not sign “voluntary return” or self-deportation papers without speaking to a lawyer.
2. Ask to talk to an attorney and keep emergency contacts written down.
3. Keep copies of any work authorization, identification, or pending case receipts in a safe place at home.
4. Relatives trying to locate a person in custody can use ICE’s online detainee search tool at this official link: https://www.ice.gov/detainee-locator
5. Reach out to local legal aid and worker centers for help with bond, medical needs, and family planning.

Analysis and broader pattern

According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, the Anaheim pattern fits a wider regional push that concentrates on public-facing job sites where agents can stop many people quickly, then separate those with prior orders or fresh immigration concerns.

• That approach places day laborers at the sharpest edge of federal policy.
• It leaves open questions about employer liability and due process on busy commercial lots.

The latest Anaheim raids also underscore the human stakes. Workers at Euclid Car Wash say they have cut hours or changed shifts to avoid peak enforcement windows. On Brookhurst, day laborers now wait farther from store entrances and rely more on word-of-mouth to meet employers.

These adaptations:

• Reduce earnings and make it harder for contractors and homeowners to find help
• Push casual hiring deeper into side streets and private driveways

Federal agencies have not offered detailed public accounts of the Anaheim operations, and coordination among CBP, ICE, and HSI remains opaque to outsiders. Advocates argue that the lack of clear on-site warrant procedures raises legal risks for the government. City leaders face pressure from residents to keep public spaces calm while respecting federal authority on immigration. That tension has moved from council meetings to court filings, where judges will weigh claims about constitutional limits against the government’s enforcement powers.

What’s next

What happens next will likely hinge on the pending lawsuits, including the case Anaheim joined. Possible outcomes include:

• Courts imposing stricter rules for on-site detentions or requiring clearer warrant protocols, which could change tactics at car washes and Home Depot locations
• Continued enforcement operations if courts do not alter current practices

For now, enforcement operations are expected to continue, and workers are preparing for more unannounced visits. Community groups plan rapid-response networks, legal clinics, and weekday patrols around known hot spots to document arrests and connect families with help.

In Anaheim, the message from both city officials and advocates is similar: treat Euclid Car Wash, the Brookhurst Home Depot, and other public hiring zones as high-risk areas; move carefully; and keep legal contacts close. Families balancing rent, school, and medical bills now face the added burden of sudden detention. Until courts rule or federal policy shifts, the weekend’s raids signal that Southern California’s public job sites will remain in the spotlight.