Pussy Riot Unveils Banner Listing 61 Deaths Under ICE Custody in Los Angeles
Activists protested at seven detention centers nationwide, citing specific allegations of abuse and harassment against local volunteer observers in California.
By Jonathan Reed ·
The Russian punk band Pussy Riot displayed a large banner at the Los Angeles detention center on October 30 listing the names of individuals who died while in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody. The group coordinated simultaneous actions at seven facilities across the country, including sites in Brooklyn, Newark, Miami, Minneapolis, Portland, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Signs held at the protests read "No to concentration camps," drawing a parallel to the Nazi regime's imprisonment of prisoners.
In a post on X, the band stated that tens of thousands of people are currently detained by ICE. They claimed that more than 8,000 of those detainees are women and children, some as young as two years old. The group cited photos, videos, and testimonies to assert that prisoners face starvation, beatings, rape, and forced labor. They also noted that hundreds of U.S. citizens and legal residents have been jailed for having Spanish surnames or speaking a foreign language in public.
The protests occur as the "California Segura" operation enters its final weeks. Launched approximately one month ago, the initiative aims to accelerate arrests and deportations in the state. The operation is scheduled to last 45 days, with an expected end date of November 21. The Trump administration currently holds the record for 61 immigrant deaths under ICE custody during its second term.
Local activists in California report increased harassment of volunteer observers during the operation. Claudia Gonzalez, spokesperson for 805 UndocuFund, said the organization has recorded a rise in immigrant seizures since the campaign began. She also noted an uptick in harassment directed at the group's 1,500 volunteers. The organization prefers to refer to one detained volunteer by the pseudonym Rebeca out of fear of retaliation.
Rebeca was detained by ICE on October 15 in Santa Maria. According to Gonzalez, Rebeca was on a surveillance walk with other volunteers alerting residents to ICE presence when agents followed her in a vehicle. Officers stopped her car and held her at the local ICE facility for 30 minutes before releasing her without charges. Gonzalez described the detention as an act of intimidation meant to replicate the fear experienced by immigrant families. Rebeca stated that she felt significant fear during the stop, understanding the terror faced by those in custody.
On October 14, a day before Rebeca's detention, another volunteer was stopped by Homeland Security Investigations agents while patrolling in Camarillo. The organization confirmed he was held for two hours. He was released, but his case remains pending to determine if charges will be filed. A third volunteer suffered arm bruises after agents grabbed her to prevent her from filming arrests at the Santa Maria jail. Both Rebeca and the Camarillo volunteer were unharmed, though a high school student with a disability had his wrist broken during an interception near a school.
Faith in the Valley has documented arrests near schools, hospitals, and courthouses in the region. The group reported a detention near the Porterville courthouse and a couple being stopped near Taft College. They also logged an arrest in the parking lot of San Joaquin General Hospital. These incidents align with community complaints that ICE operations are encircling immigrant neighborhoods in key public locations.
