Workers across Southern California are missing from factories and warehouses amid rising fears of imminent ICE raids, sending shockwaves through the industrial sector. Reports of ICE agents spotted near various facilities have created a climate of panic, prompting many employees to stay home in fear of deportation.

This unsettling trend is particularly evident in industrial areas southeast of downtown Los Angeles, where business owners report significant absenteeism. One anonymous warehouse owner revealed that 15 of his workers called out on Tuesday alone, drastically slashing productivity from 100 packages shipped daily to just 15. “It’s killing my business,” he lamented, highlighting the dire economic implications of this widespread fear.

The atmosphere of uncertainty intensified following a viral video purportedly showing ICE agents inside a breakroom at a Nebraska plant, further fueling anxiety among workers in California. A local woman, identified only as Elizabeth, rushed to a meatpacking warehouse to check on friends after hearing rumors of ICE presence. “It’s scary,” she said, encapsulating the dread felt by many in the community.

While the city of Vernon has confirmed that no enforcement actions took place at the warehouse, the mere presence of ICE agents has cast a long shadow over the workforce. Another operations manager reported that 30 of his employees called out, further crippling operations in an already tense environment marked by recent anti-ICE protests in downtown Los Angeles.

As businesses grapple with the fallout from this atmosphere of fear, the implications are clear: the threat of ICE raids is not just a matter of immigration policy; it’s a crisis that threatens livelihoods and disrupts entire industries. The situation remains fluid, and the community watches anxiously as the specter of enforcement looms large.