As the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration raids continue nationwide, federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents conducted a daytime operation in a bustling Korean shopping center in Orange County, chasing and apprehending Latino immigrants, heightening tensions in the Korean community. The federal immigration authorities’ dragnet-style enforcement is now openly taking place in Korean-dense areas.

According to Korean business owners and eyewitnesses, on the morning of June 17, ICE agents were spotted chasing an immigrant at “Village Circle on Beach,” a large shopping mall along Beach Boulevard in Buena Park, an emerging Korean commercial hub in Orange County. ICE agents attempted to apprehend a man who appeared to be Latino, and when he fled on foot, at least two agents pursued him.

The incident was witnessed in real-time by numerous mall visitors, some of whom recorded the scene on their phones.
The identity of the individual being chased by ICE agents remains unconfirmed. Rumors circulated among some eyewitnesses that he was an employee of a large market in the mall, but the market denied these claims.

Similar dragnet-style ICE raids are reportedly occurring in LA’s Koreatown. According to the Korean American Federation of Los Angeles on June 17, a tip was received around 7:30 p.m. on June 16 reporting the presence of ICE agents near 9th Street and Gramercy Place in Koreatown. However, the federation noted that there was no confirmation of an actual ICE operation or arrests in Koreatown at the time.

On June 17, the Los Angeles Times reported that intensified immigration enforcement has led residents in many Southern California cities to avoid going out. In Hawthorne, a pregnant woman was detained by masked federal agents, sparking protests from local residents.

Amid these developments, immigrant advocacy groups are urging individuals to always carry valid U.S. immigration documents, avoid possessing forged documents or lying about their immigration status, and understand that no law enforcement agency can enter a home without permission unless they have a warrant signed by a judge.

They also advised business owners that federal agents can enter public areas such as dining spaces, parking lots, or lobbies without permission, but ICE agents can only access private areas with a judicial warrant.

By Reporter Han Hyung-seok