A grassroots group in Los Angeles’ Highland Park neighborhood is moving forward with plans to install what it calls “ICE raid alarms” — small red siren devices intended to alert residents when federal immigration agents are operating nearby.
The Highland Park Community Support Group, led by Amanda Alcalde, says the alarms are designed to give residents time to “take shelter” if Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers enter the area. According to KTLA, the devices resemble compact red spotlights and will emit a loud signal when activated.
The organization has not specified how many alarms will be installed but says they will be placed along multiple streets, including near at least one dual-language school. Installations are being coordinated with homeowners and local businesses who consent to having the devices mounted on or near their properties. The effort is not backed by the city.
“Ultimate goal is to encourage other communities throughout the county and beyond to have their own sirens,” the group wrote in a recent Instagram post.
In addition to the alarms, volunteers are distributing whistles to residents and encouraging neighbors to warn one another if ICE agents are spotted in the area. Alcalde cited inspiration from activism in Minneapolis, where during heightened immigration enforcement activity, residents used whistles and shouted warnings in English and Spanish as agents conducted operations.
“I’ve seen a lot of fear in people’s eyes,” Alcalde told KTLA. “It feels dystopian in a way.”
Highland Park is a majority Hispanic neighborhood, according to demographic data compiled by Niche.
The alarm system is expected to be fully installed by Feb. 23.
The initiative comes as Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced three new anti-ICE measures this week, including a policy barring federal immigration officers from using or staying at city-owned facilities. The move reflects growing tensions between federal immigration enforcement efforts and Democratic-led municipalities that oppose expanded ICE activity.
Across the country, anti-ICE protests have intensified in recent months. In Minneapolis, demonstrators gathered outside a Hilton hotel believed to be housing federal agents. One officer guarding the entrance was reportedly left bloodied during the confrontation, though details about how he was injured remain unclear. The protest occurred one day after Alex Pretti was fatally shot by two ICE agents during an enforcement operation.
