A California car wash owner says Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents stormed his business without showing a warrant, part of an escalation in workplace immigration raids.
Since President Donald Trump returned to office, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has renewed its aggressive focus on immigration enforcement. A central element of this strategy has been worksite raids, often at small businesses.
On June 22, armed CBP officials arrived at Bubble Bath Hand Car Wash in Torrance, California, in unmarked cars, according to the Washington Post. Surveillance footage shows them entering restricted areas and shoving both staff and the owner, Emmanuel Karim Nicola-Cruz, who says his multiple requests to see a warrant were ignored.
"They weren't answering any of my questions," Nicola-Cruz told the outlet. "I feel like my rights were 100% violated. I feel absolutely, absolutely betrayed. We have American flags all over the property. We're an American business."
One worker was pushed into a gate, and others fled into the car wash tunnel. DHS said the worker was attempting to escape, but denied any misconduct. The shop has since lost business, and its owner, who has not been charged, says his family now fears further retaliation.
The incident is one of dozens across the country that immigration advocates say reflect a pattern of rights violations. From Florida construction sites to Nebraska meatpacking plants, ICE raids have increasingly targeted small operations, where owners are less likely to push back.
In many cases, workers are arrested while business owners remain untouched. Some raids have involved questionable tactics, including entering private areas without judicial warrants and using so-called "Blackie's warrants," which do not name specific individuals.
Though DHS claims the raids aim to disrupt illegal hiring practices, the outcomes suggest a different motive: increasing migrant arrest numbers. Even some business owners who cooperated with immigration checks and used tools like E-Verify have faced surprise raids.
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