Federal immigration officials reportedly detained two people during an anti-ICE demonstration near a Boyle Heights hospital late Friday, sparking more action from community immigration advocates.
Immigration officers detained two detainees during a demonstration at White Memorial Adventist Hospital, the Boyle Heights Beat reported Saturday. Neither the Department of Homeland Security nor Los Angeles police confirmed the detentions to The Times. A spokesman for the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed that federal agents were at the hospital and that a person in custody was being treated.
The representative said the Los Angeles Police Department received reports of “a large crowd gathering at the hospital and causing a disturbance.”
In a video shared to social media by observer Michelle Rivera, police can be seen pinning a man to the sidewalk at the intersection of Boyle Avenue and Pennsylvania Avenue near the hospital. In the video, bystanders can be heard telling agents to release the detainees. An officer wearing a face mask and a vest emblazoned with the word “Police” told onlookers to leave the scene and ordered them “not to hinder the arrest.”
The man behind the incident blamed immigration officials for detaining two U.S. citizens. One officer can be heard accusing the detainee of “interfering” with the arrest and telling bystanders, “We have criminal arrest powers.” An officer can also be heard telling a person off-camera: “Your brother assaulted a federal agent.”
“He was arrested for assaulting a federal agent,” the officer continues in the video. “He’s coming with us.”
In Rivera’s video, the person behind the camera can be heard asking followers to zoom in and tag local immigration advocacy groups.
According to OnScene Media, many protesters were pushed and pepper-sprayed. The video shows a young woman kneeling on the ground crying as others throw water in her face. Video shows federal agents leaving the hospital shortly after a priest showed up at the protest.
The Los Angeles Police Department said it received a second call from hospital security at around 2:24 a.m. saying that about 30 protesters “gathered at the hospital and broke into the ambulance lane.” The spokesman said the police response was “to safeguard public safety, preserve emergency medical services and preserve the peace”.
“LAPD officers have never participated in federal immigration enforcement activities, assisted in immigration enforcement operations, or detained any individual on behalf of federal immigration authorities,” the spokesperson added. The LAPD also said officers “contacted members of the group, who cooperated with officers and dispersed without further incident.”
Adventist Health Communications spokesman Nick Samaniego confirmed in a statement to The Times that a person in federal immigration detention was receiving care at a hospital. The statement noted that federal agents lined up at the ambulance entrance, which was neither authorized nor requested by the hospital.
“White Memorial is not involved in immigration enforcement,” the statement read. “We know last night frightened our neighbors. No matter what is happening outside the door, everyone who comes in is our patient and our focus will only be on that patient and that will not change.”
Los Angeles Mayor-elect Nithya Raman (right) stands with others during a demonstration at Adventist Health White Memorial Medical Center on Saturday, November 7, 2026, in Los Angeles, California. The Boyle Heights Immigrant Rights Network organized a demonstration to protest “recent ICE kidnappings.”
(Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
City Councilwoman Ysabela Jurado said Saturday that she was “deeply troubled” by reports of the White Memorial incident and called on the hospital to “publicly disclose its agreement with ICE, terminate any voluntary health care contracts with the agency,” and called on hospital leaders to further protect patients.
“ICE continues to wreak havoc on our communities, separating families, disrupting livelihoods, and instilling fear in the most basic parts of daily life,” Jurado said. “When this fear spreads to emergency rooms, the health of our entire community is at risk. Parents who come with a sick child or someone experiencing a medical emergency should focus on getting help.”
The Boyle Heights Immigrant Rights Network informed followers of ICE’s presence around the hospital early Saturday morning and announced it would hold a demonstration Saturday afternoon near the hospital to oppose “recent ICE kidnappings.”
“Our families and neighbors deserve to live without fear. We keep each other safe,” the group announced on Instagram. Los Angeles Mayor-elect Nithya Raman is expected to attend.