The Department of Homeland Security has dismissed a Los Angeles initiative by activists to deploy warning sirens intended for illegal aliens about Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations.
Anti-ICE activists have long used whistles to help undocumented immigrants evade federal officers, but Amanda Alcalde, a Highland Park resident, announced plans to install ICE warning sirens on private property and businesses in her neighborhood. Alcalde stated the project is not sanctioned by the city.
In an email statement, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin criticized the proposal as “quite literally insane,” comparing the sirens to those used during World War II in London to alert of German air raids. She described the plan as a “public nuisance.”
McLaughlin also cited specific individuals that Alcalde’s efforts aim to protect, including Carlos Danilo Barrera, an illegal alien from El Salvador who is a member of the Florencia 13 gang and was convicted of second-degree murder in Los Angeles.
In a separate statement to KTLA-TV, Alcalde described how ICE operations have reduced visible ethnic minority presence on Los Angeles streets. “I’ve seen a lot of fear in people’s eyes,” she said. “It’s big change. It feels dystopian.”
The Trump administration has recently increased detentions and arrests against activists who interfere with federal enforcement operations.
