Good Riddance: The Cowardice of ICE and a Wannabe King

On the immigration raids in Los Angeles, mounting unrest by fed up citizens, and the ugly politics of escalation.

Photo by Nitish Meena

As many of you know, I was born and raised in Southern California, and though I have a complicated relationship with my hometown of Los Angeles (Too much traffic! Too much Hollywood!) I have always felt immense gratitude that I grew up around so many immigrant communities. L.A.’s immigrants make up a whopping 35% of the city’s population and these communities, merely by being there and living their lives, benefit all Angelenos greatly, contrary to what conservative, fear-mongering propaganda would like you to believe. It’s because of these communities that Los Angeles is known for its economic prosperity, its rich arts and culture scene, and some of the best food (both produce and dining) in the country.

I have never—not once in my whole entire caucasian life—felt uneasy about the presence of immigrants in my life or in my community. I have never heard someone speaking another language or working alongside me or living on my street and felt them to be a threat to me or to my livelihood. (I mean, God forbid someone speaks Spanish in Los Angeles.) The notion that immigrants are somehow the cause of this country’s many, many problems—as opposed to the heinously corrupt billionaires and cruel legislation like the Big Beautiful Bill (which is primed to gut Medicaid if passed)—is completely beyond me. People who came to this country seeking asylum or hoping for better lives for themselves want the same things any American wants: to be able to provide for themselves and their families and to live their lives freely and without fear.

This week I watched in horror as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) along with unofficial, badge-less, and often warrantless “officers” cosplaying as secret agents terrorized Los Angeles residents with raids across the city, seizing people at their work, at school, and even during their routine ICE check-in appointments and immigration court hearings. Yes, immigrants are being detained and arrested while actively following the legal procedures required of them. (The “They wouldn’t get in trouble if they just did things the right way” crowd sure is quiet these days.)

Protests and pushback quickly mounted as furious residents took to the streets and surrounded the federal building where many of the immigrants were arrested and detained in a basement. (The Guardian reports that those detained were illegally denied their right to legal aid and once transferred to ICE facilities, denied due process. In any other scenario, this would be called kidnapping.) People in L.A. and across the world are rightfully furious watching ICE agents come into their neighborhoods and rip whole families and communities apart, making arrests no matter a person’s legal status or lack of criminal record.

Donald Trump drastically escalated the matter by calling in the National Guard even though everyone from L.A. Mayor Karen Bass to California Governor Gavin Newsom to the Los Angeles Police Department publicly stated their opposition to this. It’s especially worth noting that the National Guard (and now, the Marines) were called in even after local officials and reporters disputed Trump’s claims that the protesters have been inherently violent. In fact, multiple accounts and videos have shown that it’s law enforcement instigating the violence.

This is the first time since 1965 that a president has deployed the National Guard to enter a state without the explicit request of its governor, let alone in complete defiance of the governor. It is as if—shocker!—the Trump administration wanted to distract from the fact that his once-closest confidant and largest donor, Elon Musk, broke the internet by saying Trump is in the Epstein files. Trump wants to politicize the reaction to the raids and create as much chaos as possible by picking a fight with the entirety of the city—to not just poke the already very angry bear, but to mock it too; As if to say to all Angelenos, like some common schoolyard bully: And what are you going to do about it?

Los Angeles, along with many other cities all over the country (including right here in New York where a No Kings protest is taking place today) are very ready to answer that question for Trump. The people who live in L.A. are fighters and always have been. Full stop. L.A. is not just glitzy Hollywood leftist elites: They are also indigenous, they are immigrants, they are working class, they are queer, and they are fucking mad. And so am I.

For this week’s Good Riddance, I’m releasing my rage—less a letting go and more a valve fully busting open—over the ICE raids that took place this week in L.A. and Trump’s unnecessary escalation that is no doubt going to bring out every ounce of Angeleno fury in the coming days. Good riddance to the cowardice of ICE agents too afraid to even show their literal faces as they arrest children—CHILDREN—and their families, and here’s to those who are putting their bodies and lives on the line to very publicly resist this abuse of power. L.A., you make me proud.

What are you letting go of this week? What valve or flood gates or feelings are being opened?

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If you’re looking for a way to get involved, this article by Los Angeles Public Press is a great place to start: “Can’t protest? Here are other ways to get involved in LA.” It provides a large list of resources, including Know Your Rights graphics and printable cards, legal aid hotline numbers, where to report ICE sightings, protest safety tips, donation links, and much more.

Additional resources, organizations, and information:
No Kings protests || Happening nationwide today, June 14
Note: You do not need to register, RSVP, or provide any identifying information to attend these protests. RSVPing online is entirely optional.

Crucial tips to know before, during, and after a protest from Eliza Orlins

Immigrant Legal Resource Center

Immigrant Defenders Law Center

Mutual Aid in the Face of State Violence: How We Keep Us Safe Through Trump’s Military Invasion of Los Angeles

National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON)

Attend NDLON’s virtual ICE Out of Los Angeles National Townhall on June 18 || Register here

Mutual Aid Los Angeles Network

5Calls.org || Call your congresspeople using 5Calls.org. Call scripts and contact information for your congresspeople are available on the website for fifty topics, including Trump’s use of National Guard and military against Americans and protecting international students and their freedom of speech.

Substacks to follow to stay informed: The Parnas Perspective by

Aaron Parnas

|

Under the Desk News

by

V Spehar

| Robert Reich’s Substack by

Robert Reich

| Thinking about… by

Timothy Snyder

| The Dworkin Report by

Scott Dworkin

| Objection: Everything by

Eliza Orlins

| News Not Noise by

Jessica Yellin

• June’s The Short and Sweet, TODAY, June 14 at 1pm ET: Our June Zoom hangout for paid subscribers will feature a special guest: author, editor, and ghost-writer-extraordinaire, Ada Calhoun. Ada will be joining us to answer your questions and discuss how creating work and editing work for yourself differs from ghost writing and editing for others. If you’re working on a creative project of any kind, you won't want to miss this one. The Short and Sweet will take place today, June 14th from 1pm-2pm ET. The Zoom link will be emailed to paid subscribers about thirty minutes before the start of the Zoom.

• A Dark Sparkler special: A few weeks ago I shared the very exciting news that my book, Dark Sparkler, was celebrating the tenth anniversary of its publication with a beautiful reprint, thanks to HarperCollins. With that news I also shared a sweat-inducing, very direct ask for people to buy the book. (It always feels weird as a writer to hustle your own work!) To sweeten the deal, I’m sending anyone who buys a paperback copy of the book a little limited edition something as a thank you. Just send the receipt of your purchase, along with your name and mailing address to LITDSubstack@gmail.com.