A man was led into the back of a black SUV by three masked men in Hancock Park on Jan. 6. (photo courtesy of bystander)

Masked men who appeared to be federal immigration agents were seen making at least one arrest in Hancock Park on Tuesday, Jan. 6, according to videos obtained by the Beverly Press.

A video taken near North Las Palmas Avenue and First Street showed three masked men in U.S. Border Patrol vests detaining a man in handcuffs and leading him into the back seat of an unmarked black SUV.

A second video taken on the 600 block of North Cherokee Avenue showed three masked men in U.S. Border Patrol vests approaching two men who appear to be landscapers in the driveway of a home. The masked men appear to speak with the two men who are on private property next to a truck with landscaping tools. It is unclear if the two men were arrested.

The Hancock Park Homeowners Association sent out a message to residents on Friday, Jan. 9, confirming that the videos were taken in the neighborhood on Jan. 6.

The immigration activity in Hancock Park occurred a day before 37-year-old U.S. citizen Renée Good was fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Minneapolis, which sparked protests and national scrutiny.

Several other instances of federal immigration enforcement activity have been reported across Los Angeles in recent weeks. L.A. City Councilman Hugo Soto Martinez, 13th District, denounced Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in Echo Park, Silver Lake and Atwater Village.

According to Leo Daube, a spokesman for Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky, 5th District, ICE agents were also seen in the Melrose neighborhood.

“Our office received reports from residents and social media of ICE activity in the Hancock Park and Melrose area,” Daube said in a statement. “Federal immigration enforcement under the Trump Administration has put innocent people at risk, wreaked havoc on our communities and taken lives. Every Angeleno should know their rights and help neighbors, family and coworkers know them too. Clear information is available at chirla.org/knowyourrights.”

Many other local, state and nationwide representatives decried the ongoing federal immigration activity.

“ICE is terrorizing our communities right now,” U.S. Rep. Laura Friedman (D-Glendale) said in an interview. “They are acting with impunity. They are acting in a way that’s dangerous. They are acting in a way that we would never allow from local law enforcement. They are not following best practices around deescalation. Certainly, they seem to be, in some cases, going door to door and asking to see residents proof of their citizenship, which is illegal. They’re acting outside the bounds of the law, and Democrats, myself included, are doing our best … to put a stop to this.”

Friedman highlighted her leadership behind the No Masks for Ice Act, federal legislation that was introduced in June that would prohibit ICE agents from concealing their identities during enforcement actions.

“We need accountability, we need to know who these people are so we can hold them accountable,” she added.

On Jan. 13, the L.A. County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a motion put forward by Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, 3rd District, to develop an ordinance to establish “ICE-free zones” on L.A. County-owned and controlled properties. The ordinance will aim to prevent ICE and other federal immigration agencies from using L.A. County land as staging areas, processing locatings or operations bases for immigration enforcement.

“Los Angeles County will not allow our public property to be used by ICE to cause harm and to frighten people away from receiving services and support,” Horvath said. “Across this country, civil immigration enforcement has too often turned deadly, and that fear follows people into parks, clinics and public buildings. When residents are scared to seek care or show up in public spaces, something is deeply wrong. We may not control federal enforcement everywhere, but we do control our own property. That is why we are taking action to ensure our public spaces remain safe, accessible and free from fear.”

The recent immigration activity and killing of Renée Good also sparked several protests across Los Angeles. On Sunday, Jan. 11, hundreds of protestors gathered in West Hollywood Park and Beverly Gardens Park in Beverly Hills to denounce the killing and demand that ICE leave Los Angeles.