Federal immigration agents have departed from the Coast Guard site at Terminal Island in San Pedro, which for months was used as a base of operations while the Trump administration conducted immigration raids across Southern California.
U.S. Rep. Nanette Barragan (D-San Pedro) said the Coast Guard confirmed Friday evening that agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol vacated the site, though she said it’s unclear whether they are moving to another area in Los Angeles County.
The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The news was met with celebration by local elected officials and community volunteers who tracked the agents’ movements on and off the base since last summer.
“Although we do not know the reason for their departure, in moments like this, we will take any good news we can get,” Councilmember Tim McOsker said.
McOsker attributes the agency’s decision to leave to the vigilance of community members and especially the Harbor Area Peace Patrols.
The organization was founded in June, when the Trump administration ramped up immigration enforcement sweeps across Los Angeles, to monitor activity in San Pedro, Wilmington and the Port of L.A.
“This victory was won by and for the people of the Harbor Area,” said Maya Suzuki Daniels, co-founder of the Harbor Area Peace Patrols. “Together, we proved that courage and determination are all that is required to defend our rights and one another.”
A key part of the Harbor Area Peace Patrols’ work was sending volunteers to locations around Terminal Island with cameras and binoculars to track how many vehicles were leaving. Patrollers took pictures of license plates and immigration enforcement vehicles and then sent those pictures to the Community Self Defense Coalition, so its members knew which cars to look out for across L.A.
“ICE didn’t leave. The people kicked them out,” said Ron Gochez, a member of Unión del Barrio, a group that monitors immigration sweeps across Los Angeles and helped create the Harbor Area Peace Patrols.
Still, activists say their work is not done. Volunteers will continue to patrol the local community for evidence of immigration activity and share updates on their social media.
“We know that this battle, this struggle, is for the long haul, and we are absolutely committed to continuing organizing, to struggle back, to fight back,” Gochez said.
Officials too urged caution. While immigration raids in Southern California appear to have slowed since summer, operations still are being reported on a near daily basis.
“While this is good news, we still need to remain vigilant — don’t put away your whistles just yet,” Supervisor Janice Hahn said in a statement.
