Federal agents are planning a large-scale immigration enforcement operation in Los Angeles before the end of February, targeting undocumented individuals and those with pending removal orders, according to an internal government document reviewed by The Los Angeles Times.

Approximately 130,000 Asian Americans residing in Los Angeles County are undocumented, according to a 2013 report by Asian Americans Advancing Justice Los Angeles.

Led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the operation will receive significant support from the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) due to its expected scale.

“They needed more bodies,” a federal law enforcement official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Times, in reference to the involvement of multiple agencies.

The official warned that the timeline could shift due to the unpredictable nature of President Donald Trump’s administration and potential internal resistance among some agents, according to The New York Post.

ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Los Angeles has been actively posting updates on social media about recent arrests, including those of a Mexican national convicted of sexual crimes against a child, a murder suspect from Mexico, and an alleged member of Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua gang.

FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller confirmed to The Los Angeles Times that the agency has been assisting ICE since late January.

Similarly, Matthew Allen, head of the DEA’s Los Angeles office, stated that the agency would consider requests by ICE for assistance and allocate resources accordingly.

“We’re primarily a supportive role for these operations,” Eimiller said.

The operation has drawn attention due to its scale and potential impact, with officials stressing the need for operational security.

Tom Homan, Trump’s border czar, warned about the consequences of leaked operational details, blaming recent interference for compromising an operation in Aurora, Colorado.

“This is not a game,” he told Fox News. “To have this type of interference puts our officers at great risk.”

Amid recent and upcoming raids like this one, protests have already erupted in Los Angeles. Demonstrators recently blocked traffic on the 101 Freeway to voice their opposition to mass deportations under the Trump administration’s immigration policies, according to The Los Angeles Times.

One such protest saw a stabbing of a 17-year-old boy who was in critical condition on Friday, though most demonstrations have been peaceful, according to ABC 7.

The leaked document indicates the operation will be completed before the end of February, but nothing further appears to be specified at the time of writing.

AsAmNews is published by the non-profit, Asian American Media Inc.

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