This year, Thanksgiving wasn't the same for everyone. While millions of people gathered around their tables, in many homes, empty seats remained: a father, an uncle or aunt, a brother was detained, arrested, or deported by ICE. So far this year, approximately 480,000 undocumented immigrants have been separated from their families, even during the holiday season. In response, dozens of representatives from immigrant rights groups and advocates for the liberation and peace of Palestine literally invaded the Home Depot store in Hawthorne during Black Friday and launched a boycott against the company. Led by a banner that read “Home Depot Breaks Homes” and signs reading “ICE out of LA. End the violent criminal raids!” "People don't just disappear. This is Nazi shit," the protesters marched to the entrance of Home Depot, located at 14603 Ocean Gate Ave, in the city of Hawthorne. With their signs reading "Stop shopping at Home Depot. Keep the immigrants. Deport the racists," "Keep immigrants. Deport racists," and "Support day laborers. Support your neighbors," the protesters urged customers arriving at the store to stop spending their money "in a company that profits from the pain of families." “They're racists,” said Gustavo Pena, a Mexican resident of the city of Lomita. “That's enough with these jerks.” "Those guys at Home Depot are racist. Because of them, many families don't have a loved one at their dinner table together." At the intersection of Lomita and Crenshaw Boulevards, protesters shouted through megaphones: "Say it once! Say it twice! We will not tolerate ICE!" "Shame! Shame!" “Stop the kidnappings!” “I am a citizen of this country and I support the people,” commented Enrique Gonzalez, an immigrant from Irapuato, Guanajuato, who was watching the protesters from afar. when they positioned themselves for the second time in front of the main entrance of Home Depot.

They were all being watched from a few meters away by undercover and plainclothes police officers. The agents “hid” in the Christmas tree sales area.

Particularly in Los Angeles County,Home Depot parking lots in Southern California have become the epicenter of federal immigration raids—along with car washes—because they are common meeting points for day laborers seeking work. The raids have resulted in multiple arrests and protests by immigrant advocates.

More than 500 'kidnapped' Miriam Arghandiwa, an Afghan-American writer and director based in the Bay Area, reported that, in 175 days, in 52 immigration raids, ICE and Border Patrol agents “kidnapped” more than 500 people, including children, and caused the death of a day laborer: Carlos Roberto Montoya Valdes, 52, originally from Guatemala, who was run over and killed in August. 2025 while fleeing an immigration (ICE) raid in the city of Monrovia.

“What is the limit of Home Depot's rating?” I have questioned. "The truth is, there's no limit to what Home Depot can do. They've long harassed workers and called the police to remove them from their parking lots," he said. He added that now, Home Depot's CEO has stated he is convinced of Trump, which shows there won't be a major wake-up call for Home Depot. Indeed, Ken Langone, co-founder of The Home Depot, declared that he has “never been more excited about the future of America” than under President Donald Trump. Hitting Home Depot in the pocket: Anthony Bryson, director of the Social Uprising Coalition, accused Home Depot of complicity in President Trump's mass deportations, criticized capitalism, and emphasized the interconnectedness of various struggles, including those of immigrants, Black, Latino, Palestinian, Congolese, and Sudanese people. "If you are a Home Depot employee..." "Home Depot, and you don't understand? You need to listen to what's happening: realize that Home Depot plays a role in the mass deportations across the United States; you'll see that the American struggle is directly tied to capitalism, so our recourse is to be in the streets to shut them down where it matters... in their pockets, because capitalism controls oppressed people," he emphasized. "Fuck capitalism. Fuck Home Depot. Fuck ICE," he shouted from atop a pickup truck, while a security guard blocked their access to the store and some employees looked at the protesters with fear. “We are here, united as a people, “Demanding direct action such as documenting ICE activities and halting profits to hold Home Depot accountable!” the activist exclaimed that they were demonstrating in front of the Home Depot store to defend human rights, empathy for immigrants, and particularly day laborers, and to advocate for a collective struggle against oppressive systems. Don't let capitalism, don't let nationalism isolate and segregate you on important issues," the activist declared. "Our hearts beat exactly the same. Our blood flows exactly the same. “We are one people, one struggle.” “We're going to win!” They live in a state of paranoia. Immigration raids have affected everyone,from children to teenagers, adults, and the elderly. “The terror that ICE has caused has been absolutely immeasurable,” said Jesse Garcia, a high school student from Inglewood. “Students in schools have been paranoid, especially those from minority groups.” The young student revealed that he has friends who live in constant fear of leaving their homes. “Others are afraid of being picked up off the street or of ICE coming onto our campus,” he said. "Even with that panic, the schools still refuse to close and protect their students at the end of the day. Shame on you! Shame on you! The schools still don't know how to handle and identify ICE." Faced with the safety risk for all his classmates, 17-year-old Garcia asked, "Who's going to help us? It's not going to be the government, and it's definitely not going to be the sons of bitches who are sending our people to jail." "We will have to save ourselves, and we can only do that if we form a united front. To achieve this, we need to stay united." Jaya, a young woman who is president and a member of the Harbor Area Peace Patrol, a volunteer group that peacefully monitors the movements of federal immigration agents in San Pedro, Wilmington, and surrounding communities, stated that while their primary objective is “to patrol when necessary, we have provided support with rapid response and aftercare, both emotional and practical, informing families about the abduction of their loved one, coordinating the retrieval of their belongings, and providing legal resources.” The group also raises mutual aid funds for families left behind. “These are traumatic and tear families apart, leaving children without parents, spouses without partners, and pets without guardians,” she emphasized. "That's why we feel so compelled to help. But we're not superheroes, we're ordinary people. Teachers, parents, retirees, healthcare workers, clergy, and other ordinary people who simply care deeply about others and our city." which means that everyone can do it."