Anti-ICE demonstrators converged on a Home Depot store in Monrovia, Los Angeles, over the weekend to stage an unusual protest against immigration enforcement operations. Nearly 100 activists participated in what organizers described as a “buy-in,” purchasing 17-cent ice scrapers only to immediately rejoin the lines and return them. The tactic was designed to clog the store’s checkout and returns systems and draw attention to the company’s perceived proximity to immigration raids.
Similar actions were reportedly held at Home Depot branches in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Burbank, California, underscoring the national reach of the coordinated effort. Protesters formed long queues, repeatedly cycling through sales and returns in a deliberate attempt to disrupt normal operations and force a public conversation about Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity around the retailer’s premises.
Home Depot as an Unofficial Labor Hub — and Enforcement Target
For years, Home Depot stores in Southern California have functioned as informal hiring grounds for day laborers seeking short-term contracting and construction work. Many of these workers are migrants, some with legal status and others without, who gather in parking lots and entryways hoping to secure daily wages. Organizers say these locations have now become prime targets for immigration enforcement, transforming once-routine job-seeking spaces into zones of fear.
Immigration operations at Home Depot outlets have reportedly increased since the administration intensified its efforts to crack down on illegal immigration. At least a dozen stores in Southern California alone are said to have been the focus of repeated ICE actions. Critics argue that this approach sweeps up non-criminal workers who are simply trying to support their families, rather than concentrating on dangerous offenders.
Personal Story Highlights Human Cost of Raids
The protests gained further resonance after social media influencer Bobbi Althoff shared the story of her family friend, Felix Morales Gomez, who was detained during one of the Home Depot raids. Althoff said she has known Gomez for her entire life and that he came to the United States in 2004. While acknowledging that he is an undocumented migrant, she emphasized that he has no criminal record and was simply waiting in the parking lot to find construction work when he was arrested.
In emotional remarks, Althoff criticized ICE for targeting individuals like Gomez, whom she described as “hard working people” who have “not done anything wrong here.” Her comments helped put a human face on the broader enforcement campaign, galvanizing critics who say the current system punishes families and breadwinners rather than violent offenders. For activists, Gomez’s experience exemplifies what they regard as a pattern of low-risk individuals being swept up to inflate deportation statistics.
Trump’s Pledge on ‘Worst of the Worst’ Under Scrutiny
Current U.S. president Donald Trump, now serving a second term, has repeatedly pledged to rid America of what he calls the “worst of the worst” criminal offenders among undocumented migrants. His administration has cast its immigration strategy as a targeted effort focused on individuals with serious convictions or final deportation orders. However, the Home Depot operations and similar raids have drawn criticism from advocates who say the reality on the ground does not match that stated goal.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and ICE have faced mounting backlash for allegedly prioritizing easy arrests — such as day laborers at job sites, car washes or retail parking lots — over more complex pursuits of high-risk offenders. Activists claim that these “low-hanging fruit” operations are designed to rapidly boost daily deportation numbers and provide headline-ready statistics, rather than enhance public safety. The dispute over enforcement priorities has intensified as deportation targets and daily metrics become a central measure of policy success.
Internal Tensions Over Deportation Strategy By ICE
Reports of friction within the homeland security apparatus have further complicated the picture. Trump’s handpicked border czar, Tom Homan, and ICE Director Todd Lyons are said to favor a strategy that concentrates resources on convicted criminals and individuals with final removal orders. Their more targeted enforcement model has reportedly clashed with the vision of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and her advisers, including Corey Lewandowski and Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino.
According to accounts from inside the department, Noem has pushed for a broader and more aggressive approach designed to increase the number of deportations recorded each day. This emphasis on volume aligns with the president’s demand to remove as many as 1,500 undocumented migrants daily. Official figures from DHS indicate that since Trump returned to office, approximately two million undocumented migrants have either been removed or have opted to self-deport, with around 400,000 deported directly and about 1.6 million leaving voluntarily.
Activists Accuse Home Depot of Being ‘Ground Zero’ for Raids
For organizers of the Monrovia protest, Home Depot has become a symbol of what they describe as “cruel” and “vicious” enforcement. Pablo Alvarado, co-executive director of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON), said the chain has effectively become “ground zero” for immigration operations that tear families apart and intimidate workers who congregate near its stores. Activists argue that because day laborers help draw customer traffic and contribute to sales, the company benefits from their presence and has a moral obligation to defend them.
Demonstrators at the protest wore makeshift aprons emblazoned with the slogan “ICE out of Home Depot” and used the retailer’s signature orange buckets as drums, beating out rhythms as they circled the store. Some participants also set up two makeshift altars, each featuring 24 white crosses, representing people who have died this year either during immigration raids or while in detention. At one point the demonstration briefly blocked vehicles trying to access the store’s main entrance, underscoring the activists’ determination to be seen and heard.
Home Depot Denies Coordination with Immigration Authorities
Home Depot has strongly rejected claims that it cooperates with ICE or plays an active role in immigration enforcement. George Lane, the company’s manager of corporate communications, said the retailer does not coordinate with ICE or Border Patrol and is not involved in the planning or execution of any raids. According to Lane, the company is typically unaware that enforcement activities are underway until after they have concluded.
Lane stressed that Home Depot is required to follow all applicable federal and local laws in every market where it operates, but insisted that the company neither initiates nor directs immigration operations. The retailer did not publicly comment on the disruption caused by the buy-in protest or on activists’ demands that it take a more explicit stance against ICE actions at its stores. For now, the company finds itself balancing legal obligations with mounting pressure from labor advocates and community organizations.
Calculated Disruption to Show Economic Impact
Erika Andiola, political director for NDLON, said the purpose of the buy-in protest was to send a clear message that day laborers contribute economically to Home Depot and its customers. She noted that those who gather outside the stores “want people to come out to shop, so they can get work,” positioning day laborers as part of the retailer’s broader ecosystem rather than as a liability. By tying the protest directly to sales transactions — however small — organizers aimed to demonstrate the financial link between the workers and the store.
Andiola framed the nuisance-buying tactic as both symbolic and strategic. The repeated purchase and return of ice scrapers allowed protesters to “impact their business and at the same time, give the message that they need to get ICE out of their stores,” she said. For activists, economic disruption is a way to pressure a powerful corporation to publicly distance itself from immigration raids and to advocate for the safety of workers who congregate on its premises.
Larger Debate Over Enforcement, Corporations and Community Safety
The Home Depot protests highlight a broader national debate over the role of corporations in immigration enforcement and community protection. While federal agencies set enforcement priorities, activists insist that large employers and retail chains have significant influence in shaping what happens on their properties and in surrounding areas. The Monrovia action and its sister protests in Charlotte and Burbank suggest that anti-ICE campaigners see corporate pressure as a complementary route to legal and political advocacy.
As the administration continues to pursue its goal of high-volume deportations, the tension between public safety arguments and humanitarian concerns shows no sign of easing. Supporters of the crackdown argue that robust enforcement is necessary to uphold the rule of law and deter irregular migration. Opponents counter that sweeping raids at job sites, parking lots and neighborhood hubs undermine trust, frighten families and blur the line between targeting criminals and penalizing poverty. The ice scraper protest at Home Depot may have been unconventional, but it reflects the intensity of a national conflict over who belongs, who decides, and who pays the price when immigration policy meets everyday life.
