Last summer, in downtown Los Angeles, federal agents carried out a massive immigration raid that sparked protests across the county. What started in a single warehouse quickly turned into a wave of operations and fear throughout the city.

And this Saturday morning, workers and community members returned to Ambiance Apparel to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the raid that resulted in the arrest of more than a dozen indigenous Zapotec workers.

"We are here today, together with our families; we know it was not easy: they had to fight against their own fear to be our voices out here," said Lázaro, one of the workers who was impacted that day and who is now part of Lucha Zapoteca. “I and others were separated from our families, that day was a day like any other until it became a painful nightmare for everyone.”

The Lucha Zapotec group was formed in the days after the raid, when workers and their families fought for the release of 40 detained people, 14 of whom were of Zapotec descent. The group raised more than $300,000, obtained legal representation and helped release 11 people held at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center, including Lázaro.

On Saturday, Lázaro, his co-workers and his children were surrounded by Zapotec regalia and protected by their community. Volunteers stood guard on the streets around them while the press conference took place. Still, anxiety over the possibility of a raid was still present.

There was a moment when one of the volunteers accidentally pressed the siren button on the megaphone he was carrying and the organizers and workers detained earlier stopped for a few seconds, looking both ways with an alert gesture.

“Our fight is not over yet,” said Lázaro. "Just because we have been released from the detention center does not mean we are free. We continue to face many challenges and restrictions. We continue to fight for survival and our families continue to deal with the trauma of separation."

According to the organizers, some of the detained people have been deported, others are still immersed in long immigration procedures and many families continue to deal with the economic and emotional consequences derived from what happened on June 6, 2025.

Yurien, the daughter of Mario, an Ambiance Apparel worker who was also arrested last June, described in detail what she felt when she saw her father chained during the raid. He recounts how his little brother, with a disability, spent months asking about his father, without understanding why he was no longer home.

“We felt my father's absence deeply; at the same time, seeing my father being detained while we could do nothing was one of the most traumatic experiences of our lives,” Yurien said. “The emotional and mental impact of that day remained with our family even after his release.”

The daughter of another of the detained men prefers not to reveal her name for security reasons, since her father's case is still ongoing. Like Yurien, she was also present when her father was taken away, she said that when she was alerted about the raid, she was at work and dropped everything to try to help her dad.

“Today I feel very happy and lucky to have him back, because there were times when he called us to tell us that he was getting sick, but they did not attend to him and we were very concerned,” said the girl. "Although we have him with us now, we have become very aware of our surroundings, and he doesn't want to go out anywhere; there are days when he just sits in his room, disconnected from everything."

The Trump administration's federal raids have continued unabated since last summer and continue to impact immigrant communities and workforces in Los Angeles and beyond, leaving families separated and communities living in constant fear. Lázaro said that, although they are free, many workers and families, like him and his colleagues, now face economic difficulties and legal obstacles.

For this reason, together with organizers from the Immigrant Defense Law Center (IMMDEF) and the California Network for Immigrant Workers Justice (CNIWJ) they are asking state authorities to create a new state emergency aid fund aimed at supporting people affected by immigration raids.

“We are here, standing tall, asking the governor of California to support our communities, which continue to be attacked by this racist administration,” Lázaro said. “Long live Zapotec struggle!” Long live Zapotec struggle!”

The press conference held in front of Ambiance Apparel is one of many events that took place this weekend, where the community came together to remember those affected and celebrate the mobilization that emerged from such a chaotic time that is still ongoing. Artist Snow the Product hosted a massive barbecue in Grand Park, free to the public, featuring music, a giant piñata, and booths from various organizations.

For its part, at the Metropolitan Detention Center, in downtown Los Angeles, more than 100 protesters gathered, as they usually do to protest peacefully outside the building. Apart from an interaction captured on social networks, you can see the moment when the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) detained a person and sprayed the crowd with pepper spray.

And CHIRLA also held an event called “Los Angeles, Stronger Than Yesterday,” in which impacted family members gave their testimonies and everyone was able to reflect on the year they spent as a community.

“A year after the cruel migratory wave that shook all Angelenos, our message is clear: fear did not defeat us, cruelty did not divide us and militarization did not silence us,” said Angelica Salas, executive director of CHIRLA. “We remember, resist and renew our commitment to the fight for justice, dignity and humanity of every Angeleno.”

Outside Ambiance Apparel, the Zapotec community continued to celebrate: the press conference ended with a dance, live traditional music and photos with the 11 freed men, along with their families. Lucha Zapoteca affirmed that they will continue to support the people who are still detained until they can be released.

“Our resistance did not begin with this raid, and it will not end here,” Lázaro said. "We stand firm. We want to end all detentions and deportations. We want all those detained to be released and to ensure that no other family has to endure the pain that ours has experienced."