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At this Home Depot, neighborhood residents keep watch for immigration sweeps
Anti-ICE activists march outside the Home Depot in Pasadena in hopes that the store will protect day laborers at the facility on Aug. 6, 2025.
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Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times via Getty Imag
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Los Angeles Times
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Since June, the parking lots of businesses like Home Depot across Los Angeles have become places where federal agents are targeting immigration sweeps.
In response, Angelenos have taken it upon themselves to "adopt" these lots to keep tabs on enforcement actions.
People like Dayena Campbell, who moved to East Pasadena more than a year ago and has fallen in love with the community. So once the ICE sweeps started, she felt compelled to do more.
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At this Home Depot, neighborhood residents keep watch for immigration sweeps
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" I decided to create a community defense corner in East Pasadena, specifically at Home Depot, so that we could be a physical presence of safety for the day laborers," Campbell said.
Keeping watch from the corner
A picture of the table at the East Pasadena Community Defense Corner.
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Dayena Campbell
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EPCDC
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In July, Campbell founded the East Pasadena Community Defense Corner — a volunteer-run group that patrols for ICE activity and distributes “Know Your Rights” information at the Home Depot parking lot off Walnut Street.
Her group is modeled after the National Day Laborer Organizing Network's "Adopt a Day Laborer Corner" action.
"There has yet to be a day that we haven't been at that Home Depot patrolling," Campbell said.
We know them by name
The table of the East Pasadena Community Defense Corner outside the Home Depot in East Pasadena.
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Dayena Campbell
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EPCDC
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Every morning, Campbell and other volunteers scout the lot and patrol surrounding streets. The group also maintains a table at the Home Depot parking lot, talking with shoppers about their cause — and inviting those interested to join.
But the top priority is to be there for the day laborers who have long become part of the community.
"We know them by name. We talk to them daily," Campbell said. "They come to our table. We give them snacks. They have expressed their gratitude tenfold for what we do. A lot of them have expressed that if it wasn't for us, they wouldn't be there coming to look for work anymore."
A volunteer is seen standing at the East Pasadena Community Defense Corner table.
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Dayena Campbell
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EPCDC
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Protecting neighbors
Campbell said volunteering has had its highs and lows. The group has taken pride in the fact that no one's been taken from their adopted Home Depot yet, and they wanted to keep it that way.
But not long after, Campbell texted to say that at least one day laborer was detained by federal agents at the location.
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In her text, Campbell wrote that "about 50 volunteers" showed up within about 20 minutes of the arrest to see how they could help.
The group's response will be to continue what they've been doing, she continued.
“We will keep showing up.”
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This work is only possible with community support. Every investigation, service guide, and story is made possible by people like you who believe that local news is a public good and that everyone deserves access to trustworthy local information.
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