Federal actions reverberate through Inglewood workforce
Federal immigration raids targeting car washes across Southern California have ensnared hundreds of workers, advocates said, leaving families, local businesses and communities in Inglewood and neighboring cities to contend with the fallout.
According to the CLEAN Carwash Worker Center, a worker advocacy group, at least 373 car wash employees were detained at sites across the region since the enforcement campaign began last summer. CLEAN also reports federal agents raided or tried to raid at least 106 car washes in Los Angeles County, Orange County and nearby areas — including locations in Inglewood, Culver City, Westchester, Bell and Whittier.
The impacts were brought into relief during a news conference held this summer at the Crenshaw Imperial Car Wash in Inglewood, which advocates said has since closed after a raid. Workers described harsh conditions inside federal detention facilities and recounted the destabilizing effect of sudden arrests on households that depended on car wash pay.
“They made me sleep on the cold floor for a week without a blanket, a toothbrush or basic medical care for the injured man next to me,” said Mario, a 33-year resident of the United States, who spoke at the Inglewood news conference and is being identified by his first name for safety reasons.
Mario, a father of three, said he was arrested while working at a Santa Ana car wash last August and held in a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center for two months. His testimony was among accounts used by advocacy groups to illustrate the human consequences of the enforcement initiative.
Local consequences and advocacy response
CLEAN, founded in 2007 to protect car wash workers from exploitation and unsafe conditions, mobilized to assist detained workers after the raids began. The organization said it worked around the clock to provide support, track detentions and document the number of targeted sites.
Advocates emphasize that media attention to the raids has diminished over time even as families and workers continue to face uncertainty. The arrests have led to deportations, long periods in detention and lingering fear for those who remain in the country, the group said.
- Workers detained: at least 373
- Car washes raided or targeted: at least 106
- Inglewood site: Crenshaw Imperial Car Wash — closed following a raid, according to advocates
Data at a glance
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Workers detained | 373 |
| Car washes raided/targeted | 106 |
The advocacy group’s compilation of incidents spread across a broad swath of Southern California. While initial headlines captured dramatic scenes of masked agents conducting arrests, local organizers and worker centers said many of the detained remain vulnerable to ongoing immigration enforcement and that their families continue to feel the economic and emotional repercussions.
For Inglewood residents, the closure of a neighborhood car wash and the public testimony at the city site underscore how national enforcement policies translate into local disruptions. Beyond job loss, advocates say detained workers often lose housing, childcare and access to medical care while their cases proceed in immigration courts or detention centers.
Officials with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal agencies did not provide new public comment in the coverage cited by advocacy groups. CLEAN continues to document detentions and to offer assistance to affected workers while pushing for changes to protect laborers in the car wash industry.
As this story develops, local residents and community groups in Inglewood say they will monitor the long-term consequences for families and small businesses tied to the car wash sector and press for resources to support those displaced by enforcement actions.
