Business
ICE agents are setting their sights on L.A. What employers need to know
Over the weekend, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials knocked on the doors of a handful of Los Angeles-area homes. And last month, U.S. Border Patrol agents conducted a three-day raid in rural parts of Kern County targeting Latino farmworkers and day laborers soliciting work in the parking lots of big-box stores.
These actions serve as a reminder that ICE and other immigration officials can show up with little or no warning at homes, businesses or in public places.
And given the Trump administration’s stated desire to ratchet up immigration enforcement and deportations, advocacy groups for workplace and immigrant rights say it’s vital for business owners to prepare themselves and their employees for any potential visits from ICE.
“The best way to counteract feeling overwhelmed is to be prepared,” said Giuliana Gabriel, vice president of human resources at the California Employers Assn.
Why might immigration authorities show up?
Among the reasons immigration authorities may visit a workplace include a Form I-9 audit, a raid, or to detain a specific person. Employers might be notified of a visit, or it could happen without warning.
Having such officials at a work site can feel overwhelming because employees might be “unsure of their rights, the purpose of the search, or what might happen next,” Gabriel said.
Employers, she added, should consider creating a response plan for their managers to follow in the event of an ICE visit.
“Some employers may choose to conduct ‘ICE Drills’ — similar to fire drills — for staff to gauge preparedness and help employees keep calm in the event of a real visit,” she said.
What is a Form I-9 audit?
Federal law requires every employee on a payroll to have a Form I-9 on file. Those documents prove an employee is authorized to work in the U.S., according to the California Employers Assn.
To comply with the law:
- The form must be completed within three days of the employee’s hiring date.
- A completed form must be on file for three years after a person is hired, or one year after the worker’s last day of employment, whichever is later, according to the National Employment Law Project.
“We recommend having strong hiring and onboarding practices to ensure your employee files are as complete and correct as possible,” Gabriel said. “It is also a best practice to conduct periodic audits of I-9 records to identify and correct any discrepancies before ICE shows up.”
ICE or Homeland Security Investigations have the latitude to decide whether to audit Form I-9s.
What are your next steps if an audit is started?
Businesses will be issued a notice of inspection giving them three days to provide records, according to Legal Aid at Work, a workplace rights advocacy group. Employers must also post a notice for employees within 72 hours of receiving it — and it should be in the language or languages usually used to communicate with staff.
The posted notice for employers must include:
- The name of the immigration agency conducting the audit;
- The date the employer received the notice of inspection;
- What documents will be inspected;
- A copy of the notice of inspection.
If immigration officials identify an employee as potentially lacking proper work authorization, or having deficiencies in their documentation, businesses will be notified and must provide the employee a copy of the findings within 72 hours.
Employers who operate in a union environment also must provide a copy of these notices to the employee’s representatives within that same time frame, according to the California Employers Assn.
According to the National Employment Law Project and the National Immigration Law Center, “If ICE decides you did not follow the Form I-9 rules” businesses may be ordered to stop hiring people who do not have valid work permits, and could face civil and criminal fines or other penalties.
What’s an ICE raid?
A raid is when ICE agents arrive at a work site without warning the employer. They can be accompanied by other agencies or appear in large numbers, according to the California Employers Assn.
Can ICE go to a worksite to detain a specific person?
ICE agents can go to a business to try to find a particular person, or people, according to the National Immigration Law Center.
How can you prepare for a workplace ICE visit?
The California Employers Assn. recommends creating a four-step response plan that should address the following:
- Who needs to be alerted if ICE shows up or a notice is received?
- Who is authorized to speak to law enforcement agents on behalf of the company?
- What information can be gathered from the agents?
- Is there a designated place for agents to wait?
Who should be alerted: Alerting management and employee/union representatives within an organization can help reduce workplace disruption and keep employees calm, Gabriel said.
“Rumors and misinformation tend to create panic amongst a workforce and some employees may even try to flee or confront agents,” she said. “Running could give the agents reason to detain or arrest someone, so having an employee representative or member of management to maintain order and keep employees calm is advisable.”
Legal counsel should immediately be notified when ICE shows up because they can help “protect your organization and your employees from agents overstepping their boundaries or taking liberties as far as what they are authorized to do at your workplace,” she added.
Authorized speakers: Examples of people who can be designated to speak with agents include the business owner or a member of the management team, such as a general manager or human resources representative.
“Ideally it would be someone familiar with your response plan, if you have one, and authorized to speak on behalf of the company,” Gabriel said.
The identified person or people should be able to communicate confidently, clearly and remain composed “while protecting the privacy of your organization and its employees,” she said.
Gathering ICE agent information: You have the right to ask immigration officials which agency they represent as well as for their names, badge numbers and business cards.
“There have been reports of citizens impersonating ICE agents to target, detain and harass others,” Gabriel said.
Designated waiting area: Find a conference room or office where agents can wait. This can limit workplace disruptions.
What to do when ICE shows up
Businesses should enact their response plan immediately when immigration officials arrive.
Before ICE agents can enter private areas of your business (public areas are parking lots or lobbies) they must present a valid warrant to conduct their search.
A valid warrant must be:
- Issued by a court;
- Have the correct name and address of the person being seized;
- Signed by a judge or magistrate judge.
Businesses should ensure that employees know their rights and that they should refrain from engaging with ICE officials, according to the National Employment Law Project. If ICE agents have questions or requests, workers should not respond and instead direct the officials to speak with their employer.
The luxury shopping center in Pacific Palisades will reopen next month after more than $100 million in renovations forced by the January 2025 wildfire that devastated the Los Angeles neighborhood.
Palisades Village will reopen Aug. 15, owner Rick Caruso announced Wednesday. The outdoor center survived the blaze that destroyed homes and other businesses but needed refurbishment to eliminate contaminants that the fire could have spread.
Crews are putting finishing touches on mall buildings after tearing them down to the studs, treating the wood and rebuilding the walls, Caruso said.
“Everybody’s working, and stores are moving their products in,” he said. “It’s a really cool feeling that people have really locked arms and are working together.”
An electrician installs lighting for a restaurant at Rick Caruso’s Palisades Village on Thursday. The shopping center is scheduled to reopen mid-August.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
Pacific Palisades resident Allison Polhill, who is rebuilding the home of 30 years that her family lost in the blaze, said she is “thrilled” at the prospect of returning to the mall she used to frequent. Its comeback is a boost for the community, she said.
“Every single step that we make to reopen our commercial corridors is going to bring more people back into the Palisades,” said Polhill, who expects to move back into her home at the end of August.
A total of 6,822 structures were destroyed in the Palisades fire, including more than 5,500 residences and 100 commercial businesses, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
Caruso previously attributed the mall’s survival to the hard work of private firefighters and the fire-resistant materials used in the mall’s construction.
The $200-million shopping and dining center opened in 2018 with a movie theater and a roster of upmarket tenants, including Erewhon, which may be the only grocer in the heart of the fire-ravaged neighborhood when it opens.
Caruso’s company was able to fill the mall with tenants despite the long shutdown.
Palisades Village is 99% leased, with the majority of tenants returning, said Jackie Levy, chief financial and revenue officer. Nearly one-third of the shops and restaurants are new to the property.
A firefighter carries a hose back to his rig while walking through a destroyed home from the Palisades fire in Pacific Palisades on Jan. 7, 2025.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Last year, Pacific Palisades-based fashion designer Elyse Walker said she would reopen her eponymous store in Palisades Village after losing her 25-year flagship location on Antioch Street to the inferno.
Other neighborhood shops destroyed in the fire that are reopening at the mall include K Bakery and Loomey’s Toys, which caters to children up to age 12 and used to be across the street from Palisades Elementary Charter School.
“It’s been a journey and I’m excited because I wasn’t sure that there was going to be a place to come back to,” said toy store owner Amanda Rastegar. “Hopefully we can bring some of that magic back.”
Rastegar’s home in the Palisades survived but was damaged by the fire. The family returned about eight weeks ago. Her last memory of the fire was a burning supermarket.
“I just couldn’t wrap my brain around what was happening,” she said. “By the time I left, Gelson’s was on fire.”
Among the returning tenants is Angelini Ristorante & Bar. Well-known Los Angeles chef Gino Angelini said he will be in the kitchen next month for a return of the Italian restaurant.
“We won’t do a big celebrity open,” he said. “We want to have a very soft opening and see our customers come back.”
Construction takes place at Rick Caruso’s Palisades Village on Thursday. The shopping center is scheduled to reopen mid-August.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
An elaborate celebration would not feel “correct for me,” Angelini said, because the devastation has been “very sad” for so many.
Other new tenants include local chef Nancy Silverton, who has agreed to move in with a new Italian steakhouse called Spacca Tutto. Women’s activewear retailer LESET will open its first West Coast location.
Caruso said he is optimistic that customers will return to the center, even though many Pacific Palisades residents are still dispersed. One tracking system estimated that about 30% of the Village’s customer base was impacted by the fire, he said.
“That means 70% did not get impacted, so there’s a lot of customers still left out there,” Caruso said. Historically, the center drew customers from as far away as Beverly Hills and Calabasas, as well as Malibu, Brentwood and Santa Monica.
He also hopes many will be inspired to visit the revived mall.
“I believe in the goodness of people and I believe that people are going to want to support the Palisades,” he said. “They’re going to want to be there and support the businesses that have had the courage and the heart to reopen.”
Walmart is rapidly expanding its network of electric vehicle chargers designed for customers to use while they shop.
The network could help fill gaps in EV infrastructure in states with greater need for chargers. Walmart, which has more than 5,000 locations in the U.S. and hundreds in California, says more than 90% of Americans live within 10 miles of one of its stores.
The chargers also offer an incentive for customers to choose Walmart — Walmart Plus members will receive a 10% discount off an average price of $0.46 per kilowatt-hour of energy at the company’s chargers.
Walmart chargers are already available at more than 75 locations in 17 states, with Texas boasting the most charging stations, followed by Florida and Arizona.
Matthew Nelson, Walmart’s director of energy policy, said last week on LinkedIn that the network will soon reach 29 states, including California.
“We are delivering on the promise of affordable, reliable and convenient charging,” Nelson said in his post.
According to Walmart’s website, six charging stations are coming to California soon, though the company did not offer a specific timeline.
The chargers will be installed at stores in Antelope, Brea, Fresno, Stockton, Suisun City and Vallejo.
Most charging sites in California will include eight to 16 fast-charging stalls, said Walmart spokesperson Kelsey Bohl.
The company first announced plans in April 2023 to install its own EV chargers at Walmart and Sam’s Club stores, with a goal of installing thousands of chargers by 2030. Partnering with ABB E-Mobility and Alpitronic, it added 25 new charging sites this past May and six more in June.
“Walmart is building a leading retail-integrated EV fast-charging network, focused on delivering an affordable, reliable and convenient charging experience where customers already shop,” Bohl said in an emailed statement. “Customers can charge while they shop, access stations through the Walmart app they already use, and benefit from affordable pricing.”
The charging stations already available include 612 individual charging stalls using 400-kilowatt chargers. Each stall has a dual charging cord with both Combined Charging System and North American Charging Standard connectors. The standard connectors, designed by Tesla, are smaller and lighter than the combined systems.
The primary way to pay for the chargers is through the Walmart app, but the company is also experimenting with built-in credit card readers to allow those without the app to use the stations.
Customers can check charger availability on the Walmart app. The company said the chargers will be available 24 hours a day.
Robotaxis could be turning into robocops.
A self-driving Waymo reported two teens to San Mateo, Calif., police on Monday after they were found drinking alcohol and shooting toy guns in the back of the vehicle.
According to a social media post from the San Mateo Police Department, officers detained two 15-year-olds after the Waymo they were riding in contacted the department and stopped in a parking lot until law enforcement arrived.
“Parents do you know where your teens are?” the San Mateo Police Department wrote on Facebook following the incident. “Waymo does!”
Officers removed both teens from the vehicle and determined they were using toy guns to shoot Orbeez out the windows. Orbeez are small, water-absorbing beads sold at toy stores.
“Toy guns, water guns, and BB guns all pose real dangers, especially to an untrained eye,” the Police Department said. “The simple handling of them can cause fear in [passersby].” “
A video posted on Facebook shows at least five officers and a police dog responding to the scene and approaching the Waymo with their weapons raised.
Waymo did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Waymo vehicles have internal cameras and microphones that may be used in an emergency or to “promote safety and security,” according to Waymo’s online support page.
The cameras are also used to ensure the vehicles are clean and to help find lost items, according to the support page.
The company said it does not use facial recognition or other biometric identification technologies to identify individuals.
“In more urgent circumstances, support may access live video during a trip,” the Waymo page said.
The San Mateo Police Department’s Facebook post has garnered nearly 60 comments, with one user accusing Waymo of “snitching.”
“At least they got a designated driver?!” one user commented.
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