My mom has been a housekeeper for as long as I can remember. As a child, I’d accompany her on the bus to the houses she cleaned, impressed with how it seemed like she knew just about everyone en route to their own jobs. There was always friendly acknowledgment and solidarity — especially with those in restaurant uniforms or carrying their own cleaning supplies.

Some of the people she befriended became trusted confidants she’d recruit to help with strenuous cleaning gigs and eventually help land custodial jobs with the city of Los Angeles. Many years later, these individuals would pool together money to ensure I didn’t fly across the country to an internship in New York City empty-handed, even though they didn’t have much to give. Getting a front-row seat to the community my mom built with others who worked low-wage jobs with long hours — for a shot at not just a better life for their families but for survival — was one of the most special acts of camaraderie I’ve had the privilege to witness.

My mom never complained. Neither did her friends. Their resilience, both mental and physical, taught me to acknowledge people who so often get overlooked. I thought of them as I said hello to the custodians who worked early mornings and late nights at the University of Southern California while I attended school there. I thought of them as I translated the news for social media posts in my previous job at the Los Angeles Times, understanding that language barriers can make receiving quality information much harder. And I thought of them and others who had taken similar journeys to LA as US Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducts aggressive immigration raids throughout the city.

In the last few weeks, ICE has intensified its operations throughout the US. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller urged immigration enforcement to make at least 3,000 arrests a day. The Trump administration has frequently targeted “sanctuary jurisdictions” with large immigrant populations like Los Angeles, arguing they are getting in the way of its campaign promise to deport millions of people.

Thousands of demonstrators protested ICE and its raids over the weekend, leading to clashes with the police, and President Donald Trump deploying the National Guard to LA. As of Tuesday, the administration has also sent in around 700 Marines. Images of Los Angeles Police Department officers in riot gear, demonstrators blocking the 101........

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