Clean Carwash Worker Center Launches Rapid-Response Training and Community Watch Patrols
Civic and community leaders gathered Thursday in West Los Angeles to announce an expanded campaign to protect carwash workers following a series of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids across Southern California.
“This is the reality of these raids: they are tearing lives apart, targeting vulnerable workers, and causing irreversible harm. These are not isolated incidents. They are systemic attacks on our community’s most hardworking and humble people,” said Laura, whose mother was kidnapped from Alamo Hand Car Wash.
The event, held outside the now-closed La Cienega Carwash, came just weeks after ICE agents raided the facility on Aug. 21, detaining multiple workers. Organizers say carwash employees have been targeted in more than 82 ICE operations, with approximately 250 workers detained at their workplaces.
The initiative is being spearheaded by the CLEAN Carwash Worker Center, along with members of the faith community and other civic organizations. Their efforts include training residents to document ICE activity and organize community watch patrols around carwashes — of which there are hundreds in the region.
“The people of Los Angeles are united and want to help working people and their families. It may seem like a simple act, but keeping a watchful eye on your favorite carwash and the workers there and documenting any potential action by masked federal agents can make the difference between someone going home at the end of their shift or being kidnapped and sent seperated from their family and home,” said Flor Melendrez, Executive Director of the CLEAN Carwash Worker Center.
The campaign follows a recent Supreme Court decision that lifted a temporary restraining order blocking roving ICE patrols, raising concerns about increased enforcement activity.
“We have seen that under the watchful eye of the community, ICE agents are more carefu,l and sometimes they might even retreat,” said Pablo Alvarado, Co-Executive Director of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON). “Knowing they are being documented makes them oftentimes engage in less civil and human rights violations. And a coordinated approach to document their actions provides the evidence to protect workers and hold masked federal agents accountable to the people.”
CLEAN, working with the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, is providing training sessions to teach volunteers how to monitor and report raids. Once trained, participants will be connected to rapid-response networks that can mobilize in real time.
CLEAN has also developed safety checklists for workers, customers, and business owners, offering guidance on how to respond to enforcement actions and protect workers’ constitutional rights. Community members interested in participating can contact info@cleancarwash.org for information on training opportunities.
Faith leaders attending Thursday’s event urged residents to contribute to a legal defense fund for impacted workers and their families. They also emphasized the importance of documenting ICE activity in neighborhoods to ensure transparency and accountability.
Since June 2025, CLEAN and its partners have been actively supporting workers and families affected by the raids, providing resources and advocating for systemic change.
Founded in 2007, CLEAN was the first carwash worker center in the United States. The organization has been a driving force behind legislative and grassroots efforts to improve conditions in the carwash industry, including the passage of the Carwash Worker Law, the creation of a worker-owned cooperative, and the launch of a peer-led auto detailing training program.
CLEAN’s mission is to make Los Angeles a city where carwash workers can work with dignity, have a voice in their workplaces, and drive broader political, social, and economic change.
