Welcome to Los Angeles, where the real immigration policy is cheap illegal labor — and the law? Well, it’s just theater.
When federal immigration agents began raiding Home Depots and other businesses in the Los Angeles area recently, something strange happened:
Foot traffic vanished overnight.
Entire blocks shut down.
Sales plummeted.
And it wasn’t because customers were scared. It was because the workers were. Employees simply stopped showing up. Some owners shuttered their doors. Fear gripped the heart of L.A.’s commercial corridors.
The real story? That fear didn’t expose a broken immigration system — it exposed a network of lawbreaking employers who rely on illegal labor to line their pockets with profits.
This isn’t a humanitarian crisis. It’s a compliance crisis.
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Fear Tells the Truth
ICE didn’t sweep every business. They didn’t arrest every illegal immigrant in sight. But a few high-profile operations caused a ripple effect that left entire streets deserted — and businesses paralyzed.
Why?
Because too many businesses exploit illegal immigrants. The politicians knew it. The business owners knew it. And now, so do the rest of us.
When workers vanish at the first sign of immigration enforcement, it’s not because they’re nervous — it’s because they’re not eligible to work here in the first place.
Let that sink in.
The Open Secret
California Democrats love to talk about being a sanctuary state. About welcoming illegal immigration. About dignity, inclusion, and “building back better.”
But the truth is, they’ve enabled an entire economy built on illegal labor. Low wages. No benefits. No complaints. That’s what keeps the wheels turning in industries like garment manufacturing, agriculture, food service, and construction.
And when enforcement shows up?
Panic sets in — because the whole thing is a house of cards built on violating federal law.
READ ALSO: ‘Sit Down’: Gavin Newsom Steps on a Rake After ICE-Related Announcement From California Bishop
Who’s Exploiting Whom?
The left will tell you these are just hard-working people trying to earn a living. And in many cases, that’s true. But that’s not the point.
The point is: the same politicians and activists who scream about “living wages” and “workers’ rights” turn a blind eye when businesses exploit illegal labor for dirt-cheap pay.
Where are the unions? Where’s the labor board? Where’s the outrage?
Nowhere. Because illegal labor is the engine of California’s shadow economy, and the political class knows it. They don’t care about protecting workers.
They care about protecting their machine.
E-Verify Is a Punchline
Let’s get one thing straight: Every employer has access to E-Verify, the federal system designed to confirm legal work status. It’s free. It’s fast. It works.
So why aren’t they using it?
Because California doesn’t require it. In fact, Democrats in Sacramento have fought tooth and nail to block local governments from enforcing it.
That’s not compassion. That’s collusion.
And when federal enforcement steps in to do the job local officials won’t? Democrats call it “fearmongering.” Business owners call it a travesty. And the liberal media pushes the narrative.
But if your entire workforce disappears when ICE shows up, you weren’t following the law to begin with.
The Reckoning
Progressives love to pretend our immigration debate is about empathy, fairness, and equality. But what’s happening in Los Angeles proves otherwise.
This isn’t about human rights. It’s about cheap, off-the-books labor — and the politicians, businesses, and activists who look the other way.
If a few ICE raids can take down entire commercial blocks, that’s not a sign of an immigration problem. That’s proof of mass lawbreaking.
It’s time to stop pretending. It’s time to enforce the law. And it’s time to hold the enablers accountable — from the boardroom to City Hall to Sacramento.
Here’s a thought: If your business model depends on breaking the law, you don’t deserve to be in business.
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