USpolitics

Immigration enforcement agents carried out raids in Los Angeles Friday, prompting gatherings of protesters who at one point clashed with authorities.

At one scene in downtown Los Angeles, a crowd of people tried to prevent authorities from leaving in vans after multiple people were detained.

Protesters could be seen throwing objects at the vehicles, while others tried to block the vans from leaving. One person was nearly run over when they fell to the ground after getting in front of one of the vehicles.

Immigration enforcement agents were spotted at two separate locations in the morning, including a Home Depot store in the Westlake District.

Video posted to the Citizen app showed Department of Homeland Security agents escorting men in handcuffs outside the store on Wilshire Boulevard.

A witness who spoke with Eyewitness News outside the store said several people, including men and women, some of whom are street food vendors, were detained.

"We're a little scared," said the witness in Spanish.

Mayor Karen Bass told Eyewitness News that neither she nor LAPD had any idea these raids were going to happen.

"Frankly, I'm just outraged because what happened is that went ICE went in they just took people away. And we just can't have this in our city, and it happened at multiple places in the city," Bass said. "It sows a sense of terror throughout the community...ICE was literally chasing people down the street."

"I've been really worried about this from the beginning, and as far as I know, this is the first time this has happened in our city like this. We know ICE has been here, but it's been for targeted arrests; this was just mass chaos," Bass added. "It sows a sense of chaos in our city, and a sense of terror, and it's just unacceptable."

The mayor also said that SEIU-USWW President David Huerta was injured and hospitalized after federal agents got on top of him to detain him. The mayor said Huerta was just an observer and a witness as part of a rapid response network to the community when events like these occur.

Meanwhile, FBI agents were also spotted outside the Ambiance store near 9th Street and Towne Avenue in the Fashion District. Dozens of people were seen gathered outside the store.

A senior DHS spokesperson sent ABC7 a statement Friday, but did not directly address the investigations at both locations.

The statement said in part, "ICE is now following the law and placing these illegal aliens in expedited removal, as they always should have been."

"If they have a valid credible fear claim, they will continue in immigration proceedings, but if no valid claim is found, aliens will be subject to a swift deportation."

Eyewitness News is working to get more information.

This comes as the advocacy group League of United Latin American Citizens calls for an investigation after reports surfaced of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding families in detention at a federal building in downtown L.A.