The fear of immigrant raids is destroying transport vehicles in Los Angeles. There, tens of thousands of low-income workers rely on the city’s public transport system.
In the Los Angeles Times production, Christopher Buchanan, Colleen Charby and Hannah Fry explain the undulating effects of ice attacks that hid many Angelenos. “After immigration agents launched a campaign to spot and capture undocumented immigrants in Los Angeles on June 6th, some residents begin to go underground and fear raids away from work, schools, churches and other public places.”
Bus and rail rides in the area fell by 10-15% from June 6, with unmarked immigration officers beginning to detain people on the streets, including bus stops.
Public transport is a lifeline for many LA residents who can’t afford a car. “A 2023 Metro survey showed that over 60% of bus riders and around 50% of railway riders are Latinx/Hispanic, nearly 90% of bus riders and over 70% of railway riders’ annual household income is less than $50,000.” The absence of vendors and customers is obvious in the LA commercial corridor.
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